


Fragments

by FieryAngel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Difference, Agnostic Dean Winchester, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Plug, Anal Sex, Art Student Castiel (Supernatural), Artist Dean Winchester, Beach Sex, Bed & Breakfast, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Blow Jobs, Bottom Castiel (Supernatural), Bottom Castiel/Top Dean Winchester, Bottom Dean Winchester, Boys Kissing, Castiel in tiny shorts, Crush at First Sight, Day At The Beach, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gay Castiel (Supernatural), Hand Jobs, Jealous Dean Winchester, Love Confessions, M/M, Masturbation, No Angst, Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester, Public Hand Jobs, Rimming, Sex Toys, Summer Romance, Switching, Top Castiel (Supernatural), Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Top Dean Winchester, Virgin Castiel (Supernatural), Walks On The Beach, seriously they kiss a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2020-07-20 06:35:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19987717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FieryAngel/pseuds/FieryAngel
Summary: Dean Winchester works with fragments, pieces of cut glass that he uses to create shining, translucent works of art. When he is commissioned to work on a large piece for a local church, he enlists the help of Castiel Novak, a third year art student who is eager to create and find his place in the world.As the artists spend a summer living together and creating art out of fragments, will they come together to learn that they are two parts of a larger whole themselves?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still working out a bit of block when it comes to "Sweet Surrender," so have this other fic set at the NJ shore. Consider this my beach fic for people who don't read ABO... or those that do, but don't mind another beach fic. 
> 
> This first chapter is a teaser of sorts, but this is COMPLETELY written (hallelujah!) and I will edit and post a chapter every two days, starting right after Gish is over. (Fair warning, the chapters are wonky. length-wise. Some are 2,000 words, some are over 6,000. I'm sorry. Maybe. Not really. Deal with it.)
> 
> Sidenote: Good luck Gishers! Are we ready? I'm so pumped this year!

Castiel swung the heavy door of his battered, old Lincoln Continental, the loud squeak of the hinges and slam of it shutting startling a flock of birds out of a tall oak tree and into flight. His head tilted to one side in curiosity as he stared up at the historic Victorian house standing tall in front of him, its blue, scalloped siding and bright white shutters well maintained in spite of how old the home was. A little white sign swung in the breeze from where it was suspended on hooks over the porch steps, nothing on it aside from the words, “Winchester Inn,” in bold black lettering. The garden in front was filled with big, round hydrangea bushes, the blue, purple and pink of the bulbous flower clusters adding just the right punch of color to the meticulously groomed front lawn. 

The brick paver walkway that lead from the sidewalk to the porch was flanked with lines of big, healthy hosta plants, and there was a pair of garden flags flanking either side of the porch steps. One flag greeted guests with a simple “welcome” and a floral motif, the other was a small, but in no way understated, rainbow pride flag. Castiel’s heart tripped in his chest as he looked at the little rectangle of fabric and the six simple stripes of color that eased all the tension that had settled across his shoulders on the drive down. No matter what happened this summer, no matter if the owner was part of the LGBTQ community or was simply an ally, Castiel was in a safe space.

Castiel had been attending art school in Philadelphia for three years, learning technique after technique and never finding the right niche to settle into. His family was trying to push him into graphic design, trying to convince him that everything was digital nowadays, but the thought of losing that tactile connection to his art was unbearable. So year after year, he clung tightly to paints and clay, sketched with pencils, carved out blocks for printing with ink until his fingertips were stained black, but he never figured out what medium he wanted to stick with. He was good at a little bit of everything, and great at exactly nothing. His parents said he lacked focus, called him flighty, and that just made him laugh because he was named after the black-winged angel that his father created for his book series. If they wanted him firmly on the ground, they should have never given him wings to fly.

Still, year after year, Chuck Novak wrote out tuition checks, paid for his books, art supplies and housing fees. Castiel supposed they had no choice, considering it was his father’s book royalties that paid for it all, and who was an artist to go around discouraging another artist?

Castiel drew in a deep breath, the salty sea air working into his lungs in a humid rush and stirring nostalgia that settled warm and palpable in his chest. He’d spent many a summer in Cape May, and the opportunity to be back again for a working vacation was something he’d jumped at when he saw the listing on the bulletin board in the dorm common room, weeks earlier.

_Wanted:  
Art student to assist and apprentice with a professional stained glass artist in Cape May, NJ for the entirety of summer break.  
Room and board close to the beach will be provided.  
You will be taught basic skills needed to make small stained glass pieces. Once proficient, you will be required to create pieces to be sold locally. 50% of any profits on these pieces will be yours to keep.   
Please send all inquiries to Dean at impala67@gmail.com_

He’d snatched the ad off the board and sent his email right away, his heart hammering in his chest hours later when a reply came through. Castiel and one other person, a freshman, had been the only applicants and the artist wanted to tell him more about the position due to his experience in so many mediums. Dean Winchester, the artist in question, had been commissioned to work on a large church window which would take up most of his time over the summer months, and though the commission paid well, Dean didn’t want to let down the local shops that ordered his smaller pieces during the summer. He also owned a bed and breakfast with his brother and had duties to attend to there. With the tourist season starting in just a couple weeks, he really needed the help.

After a few emails back and forth, Dean gave Castiel a call and they spoke for hours. Dean told him he’d teach him how to make the stained glass sun catchers, wind chimes and larger stained glass panels that he regularly sold to the souvenir shops along the shoreline of Cape May County. Castiel told Dean everything he learned in art school and what his strengths were, and by the end of the conversation, they were talking about Castiel’s attachment to the area and why he’d love to spend the summer there again. That led to talking about what had changed, what had stayed the same and all the best spots in the area for sightseeing and nightlife. By the end of the evening, they both agreed that funnel cake was the superior boardwalk dessert, though Dean was insistent that it was only because concession stands on the boardwalk didn’t sell pie, and Dean had offered him the position. Castiel was excited about nailing down the apprenticeship and learning something new for the first time in a long time. With a little luck, maybe he'd find his niche. 

Now, standing in front of the Inn, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, he was nervous for the first time. Sure, they’d gotten along fine on the phone, like old friends even, but what if they didn’t mesh in person? What if they had creative differences or just plain rubbed each other the wrong way? Castiel wasn’t exactly a social butterfly. In fact, he was the stereotypical awkward, tortured artist. Given the choice between talking to people and hiding in his dorm room working on a painting, he chose painting every time. Three years into college, and he’d never even attended a party.

Castiel sighed, trying to shake off his nerves, and circled around to the oversized trunk to retrieve his bags. He could do this. It was one person… and his brother... and the occasional bed and breakfast guest. He could do this. He could be a normal human being and make a passing connection with these people for the sake of learning a new skill and possibly making a little bit of pocket money while he was at it. He hefted a duffle bag over his shoulder, pulled up the handle on his rolling suitcase and finally climbed the porch steps of the big blue Victorian.

.  
.  
.

Dean stood in the back room of his garage workshop, inspecting the large, wooden table he’d built just to hold bigger pieces while he worked on them. The table stood as empty as his inspiration.

“Fuck,” he muttered, as he wondered why he’d agreed to take on a massive church window just as the summer was about to begin. The Inn was booked solid for the entire summer, and though Sam could easily handle his duties, Dean’s would be a struggle. Already, he knew the gutters needed cleaning, the grass was getting a little long, and the back garden had yet to be weeded. He’d wanted to build a pergola and install a porch swing at some point before Memorial Day too, so the guests would have a couple nice outdoor spaces to use, but he hadn’t even gotten around to buying lumber for the pergola yet. “Fuck,” he said again, pushing his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Dean!” his brother’s voice called out from the front of the garage.

“Yeah, in the back,” he answered, and in seconds, the door opened to reveal 6 foot 4 of lanky, overgrown little brother. 

“Your apprentice is here,” Sam said, stepping in with the dark-haired young man he figured was Castiel, trailing behind him. 

Dean’s breathing hitched the tiniest bit as they drew closer and he could see the stormy denim blue of Castiel’s eyes. They’d spent hours on the phone, and he remembered the deep rumble of the college kid’s voice and how it vibrated through the line then through his body and made his toes curl. He thought back to how he’d wondered if Castiel's looks matched his voice and how that could be both a blessing and a curse. The last thing he needed this summer was a distraction, but here they were, and he was distracted. In fact, he was so distracted, he realized several seconds had passed, and he’d done nothing but stare at the poor man while Castiel just stared back, head tilted and brows drawn together curiously.

“Hi there,” he finally sputtered out, glancing at Sam just long enough to see a knowing smirk and an exasperated shake of the head, then his eyes were locked back on Castiel’s. “I’m Dean.”

“Castiel,” he answered, reaching out to shake Dean’s offered hand, his deep voice and firm grip _doing things_ to Dean as they continued to stare at each other in greeting. 

Dean held on a few seconds longer than was socially acceptable before Sam cleared his throat loudly, breaking the spell, and Dean dropped Castiel’s hand. 

“Alright. Well, I’d better get back inside. We have a couple new check-ins today, and I still have a room to clean,” Sam said, smirking at Dean once more for good measure. 

The door clicked shut behind Sam, leaving the two of them alone. They continued to stand a little too close together, looking at each other for a few beats before Dean shook it off and tried to remember why Castiel was there in the first place. He took a step back to put a little space between them before he finally spoke again. “Sammy treat you ok?” he asked, nervously running a sweaty palm over the back of his neck.

“Yes. He showed me to my room and offered me something to eat. He’s very kind,” Castiel replied, looking around the room for the first time. “Is this where you work?”

“Ideally, whenever my muse shows up, anyway,” Dean said with a scoff and a shake of his head. “I work on big pieces in here, and I keep it locked up tight when I have a work in progress. I don’t like people seeing anything until it’s done, ya know?” 

Castiel nodded, as if he understood. “So then, where do you work on smaller pieces?”

Dean led the way out to the front of the garage. “This is where we’ll work together, and where you’ll work independently while I’m in there.” He jerked a thumb back to the other workroom. He watched Castiel take in the space, his eyes lingering a few extra seconds on the large bisexual pride flag that hung over one of the tables lining the side wall. 

“Um… is that going to be a problem?” Dean asked, a slight rumble of menace in his voice. “I know some people don’t approve, but I gotta say it now before we’re in too deep. I won’t work with a bigot.”

Cas chuckled low and deep, shaking his head and turning back to face Dean again. “I’m gay, Dean.”

“O-Oh. Yeah, ok. Good,” Dean said, feeling blood rushing to his cheeks, staining them red. Castiel smiled fondly at him, a little ghost of a thing upturning his plush lips, his head tilting in a way Dean found more than a little endearing. Dean blurted out, “What?” a little too accusingly, before his brain could play catch up with his mouth.

Castiel looked away, a little blush of his own flushing brightly on his tan skin. He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“It can’t be nothing. You were definitely thinking something,” Dean pushed, risking a few steps closer so he could nudge Castiel’s shoulder with his own, teasingly.

Castiel bit his lip and shook his had again. “It’s just… you’re cute when you blush.”

 _Interesting,_ Dean thought to himself as he watched the all too handsome young man go all blushy and bashful. Maybe it wasn’t just an anomaly that they got along so well over the phone. 

“I could say the same about you,” Dean replied before he could stop himself, watching as Castiel’s blush deepened and started to spread down his neck.

Fuck, he really didn’t need a distraction this summer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah! Gish was intense! How are we feeling today, Gishers? How did we do? Are you fed, rested and hydrated now? Did your teams kick ass? Give me all the tea in the comments! My team went hard and got 219 items done, and I'm SO, SO proud of them. Still tired and there's an 11 foot tall, decapitated sock monkey in my bedroom that is nightmare inducing, but I'm proud.
> 
> So, as promised, now that the madness has passed, I'm going to start posting this, a chapter every two days. It's completely written, unlike my other WIP, so I can actually stick to this schedule, LOL.
> 
> PS: Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side. The next one is actually a bit more than twice this long.

Castiel picked up stained glass work with ease, and by the end of his first week at Winchester Inn, he was using Dean’s templates to trace and cut pieces of glass and using the pieces to create small sun catchers with various nautical and sea life designs. He worked on his own unless he needed Dean’s help for something, while Dean toiled away in the backroom, sketching out a design for the window he’d been commissioned to create.

The latest piece Castiel was working on was a sunset over the ocean with a dolphin arching out of the water, and though it wasn’t very intricate, it was _his_ most intricate piece to date. There were layers of oranges and reds, the blue of the ocean, and all needed to be cut precisely to get the design to fit together just right. He’d gotten all the glass cut, the edges smoothed and had begun soldering the pieces together, smiling as he watched the design come to life. He was eager to finish it and hold it up to the sunlight, the illumination of the bright colors the only real reward he received at the end of every project. 

It was almost completed when everything went to shit. He was soldering the last line of lead, when the door to the back room suddenly swung open, startling him, and causing his hand to slip.

“Fuck!” he cried out as the tip of the soldering iron bumped into his hand, burning him. He immediately dropped the solder and the iron, the latter landing on the piece and shattering some of the sections of glass.

“Shit, I’m sorry Cas!” Dean said, rushing over to grasp Castiel’s injured hand in his own. “You’re so quiet, I forget you’re out here sometimes. Maybe I should get you a bell.”

“Sorry,” Castiel mumbled, staring down at the blister already bubbling up on the index finger of his left hand. “I ruined it.”

Dean dragged him over to the utility sink in the corner, turning the tap to cold and pulling Castiel’s hand under the water. “Don’t apologize for that. It’s not a big deal. I’m just pissed that I made you hurt yourself.”

“It’s not that bad,” Castiel answered with a shrug. “I almost cut a finger off in high school woodshop once, cliché as that is. But at least I got out of gym for a couple weeks, so small miracles.”

“Yeah, no offense, but you don’t seem like the jock type.” Dean chuckled as he rummaged through the first aid drawer for some burn gel and a bandaid. He was no stranger to injury himself. It just came with the territory when you’re working with heat and sharp edges. 

“None taken. I’m terrible at sports. I run and occasionally lift weights, but that’s the extent of my athletic prowess,” Cas shrugged. “I am rather good at woodworking though, in spite of that one slip up.”

“Well, if you look like that from running, you must be doing something right,” Dean said, averting his eyes and mentally kicking himself for having absolutely no verbal filter. He reminded himself that he should not be coming on to Cas right now. “Here, let me see,” he said, holding his own hand out, palm up to get back on track.

Castiel thrust his hand out to Dean and watched as it was gently dried with a paper towel and burn gel was applied. Dean leaned in and blew on the gel, making it feel even cooler and causing a violent shudder to shake its way up Castiel’s spine. Dean looked up at him from under his lashes at that, smirking a little before blowing on his marred skin once again just to watch him squirm. Dean tore open a bandaid and wrapped it around the digit, careful not to make it too tight. Then, much to Castiel’s surprise, Dean brought the bandaged finger to his perfect lips and kissed it.

“There, all better. Or at least that’s what my mom would’ve had you believe.”

Castiel swallowed thickly, his eyes darting back and forth between Dean’s and his hand where Dean still held it. Gently, reluctantly, he pulled it back, and Dean relented, easing his grip immediately. “Thank you,” Castiel murmured, averting his eyes to look back at the table where his sun catcher laid, shattered. 

“You’re welcome. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off. Let that heal up a little,” Dean offered. 

“Thank you,” Castiel said again, for lack of anything else. He walked back to the table, unplugging the soldering iron and starting to clean up the broken glass.

“Leave it, Cas. I’ll get it,” Dean said. “Wouldn’t want you cutting yourself and adding insult to injury.” 

Castiel chuckled, but turned away from his mess. “You’ve called me Cas a couple times now. I like it. I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why I’ve always insisted on people using my full name.”

Dean smiled and gestured toward the Inn. “You old enough to drink, Cas?”

“I’ve been 21 since September.”

A few minutes later they were settled on the porch swing Dean had managed to get installed earlier in the week, gliding back and forth gently as they sipped on a couple of cold beers. The ocean breeze was still a touch on the cool side late in the day that time of year, and they sat enjoying the weather in companionable silence. Dean went inside to get them fresh bottles of beer once the first ones were drained, and as he settled back on the swing, he draped a lightweight blanket across their laps to fight the chill of the setting sun. 

“So, where did ‘Castiel’ come from anyway?” Dean asked, finally breaking the comfortable silence they’d been enjoying up to that moment.

Castiel sighed, a little exasperated huff of air, if Dean ever heard one. “My father is an author,” he began, then took a sip as if delaying the inevitable. “He wrote this whole series of books about the supernatural and these guys that hunt down all sorts of creatures. They’re not New York Times best sellers by any means, but I guess you could say they have a cult following. He started them a few years before I was born, and the day my mother went into labor, the fourth book was released. He’d just introduced this new character into the series. Brown hair, blue eyes… sound familiar?”

Dean chuckled. “So who is this character, and how did your father end up self indulgently naming you after him?”

Cas smiled as he continued the story. “My mother, poor woman, was in labor with me for over 21 hours. By the time I showed up, she was halfway delirious with exhaustion. Story goes, when the nurse asked her if she wanted to hold me, she spat out, ‘take that little demon away and let me sleep!’”

Dean broke out into laughter, doubling over until he almost fell off of the swing. “So this character? It was a demon?”

Cas shook his head. “No, quite the opposite, in fact. My father, sweet man that he is, took one look at me and said, ‘Naomi, how could you? He’s a little angel!’ And then he had an epiphany, and named me Castiel after the black-winged angel he’d just written into his series. Mom was so out of it, she agreed to the name and fell asleep. The best part? The angel ended up falling in love with one of the male protagonists. My mom still blames him to this day for me ending up gay, and jokingly calls him ‘The Prophet of Homosexuality.’”

Dean’s laughter suddenly stopped. “Is she… does she… fuck, Cas. Does she not accept you?”

Cas waved him off. “She’s fine now. When I first came out, she pulled the ‘am I a bad parent?’ thing, and lamented that she’d never have biological grandchildren since I’m an only child, but she eventually got over it. I don’t know how she’ll react if and when I ever meet someone I’d want to bring home to meet them, but she’s tolerant, at worst.”

“So… you’re named for an angel?” Dean asked after a few beats of silence, a twinkle in his eye Castiel hadn’t seen since the day he’d arrived in Cape May.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, a new chapter. See you again on Friday!

It was the breakthrough Dean needed more than anything. Castiel, the young man who showed up on his doorstep, bright, creative, devastatingly beautiful and looking like an angel fallen from heaven was, in some serendipitous turn of luck, actually named after an angel. Ok, a fictional angel that never appears in the actual Bible, but Dean didn’t believe in all that God stuff anyway, and the church window was just a paycheck. That didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the process by rolling with his new found inspiration.

He was suddenly inspired, and finally, all his crumpled sketches were meaningless as he began to design the window. He took out his colored pencils and sketched out an angel, tall, with a lean, muscled build, wrapped in white robes that were trimmed in royal blue. He sketched out dark, messy hair, a straight, perfect nose, hooded blue eyes and a square jaw dimpled with a slight cleft in middle of his chin. Massive black wings came next, each feather detailed and rimmed with lead. On a whim, he tipped them in blue to match the angel’s eyes, then moved on to a glowing, white halo. He surrounded the angel with fluffy white clouds, then designed the frame, sketching little shapes of glass in a rainbow of colors. 

It was after 3am by the time he had the window completely sketched out, and he finally felt like he could exhale. He itched to get started, to create this ode to Castiel out of glass and soldered lead so he could finally see light shine through it, illuminating this perfect angel for all the church parishioners to see. In the end, he decided that a few hours sleep were necessary if he wanted to do Cas justice.

.  
.  
.

Castiel hardly saw Dean during the day over the next week. He created quietly and efficiently, working his way up to being able to complete a few small pieces in a day while Dean locked himself away in the backroom to work on his window. May faded into June and the Inn filled up with couples vacationing in the relative quiet of the bed and breakfast. Castiel had taken to leaving the garage door open for the sea breeze and to live vicariously through the people passing by on their way to the beach for the day, chairs, umbrellas and sand toys in tow.

He was cleaning up one night about two weeks after he’d first arrived, when Dean came out of the backroom and looked at him with a grin. 

“Hey, stranger,” Cas said with a smile. “You’re in a good mood. I take it the window is coming along.”

Dean’s smile grew. “Yeah. I think I’m really onto something. Can’t wait to show it to you.”

Cas bit his lip, trying to work up the courage for what he was about to ask. “Can I see it? Now?”

Dean’s face turned bright red and he shook his head. “You know the rules, Cas. Not until it’s finished. It’s not very far along, anyway. I’m being a bit of a perfectionist with this one. Want it to be just right.”

“I understand,” Cas said, probably a little too brightly, as he tried to cover his disappointment. 

Dean came over to stand beside him, flipping through the bin that held all the pieces Cas had finished so far. “Cas, these are really good… remarkably good. I don’t think any of the shop owners will even be able to tell I didn't do them myself,” he chuckled a little. “You may even end up better than me.”

“I doubt that,” Cas said with a shake of his head. “Aside from what we did together when you taught me, I haven’t seen any of your work, but I assume you’re amazing if you were commissioned to do such an important piece for the church.”

Dean looked at Cas with one eyebrow arched high. “What do you mean you haven’t seen my work? You go upstairs to your room every night, and you never noticed the window halfway up the staircase? I’m wounded, Cas.”

Cas scrunched up his face as he mentally pictured the window that sat above the right turn partway up the staircase. It was a gorgeous piece, a lighthouse perched overlooking the sea, with soft white clouds floating in a sunset sky. If he remembered correctly, there were a few birds in the sky, and some greenery along the banks. 

“I should have known that was yours,” Cas said, rolling his eyes at his own ignorance. “It’s a beautiful piece, truly. I’m going to take a better look on my way upstairs tonight.”

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean said, his eyes glittering under Castiel’s praise. “Hey, you want to do something tonight? We’ve done nothing but work. I’m starting to feel cooped up, and it’s supposed to be a nice night.”

Castiel smiled wistfully. “I’ve been dying to get down to the beach.”

“I have to make dinner for the guests. We’ll eat then go for a walk?” 

Castiel helped Dean, tossing a huge bowl of salad while Dean put the finishing touches on a seafood boil he’d prepared for the inn’s Friday seafood night. Once everything was finished, Dean made them two plates and set them on the kitchen island before taking the bulk of the food out to the dining room. 

Cas couldn’t help but smile as he settled onto the barstool at the counter. Most nights he ate with the guests, or even alone in his room. This was the first time Dean had asked him to dine with him. When Dean returned and slid onto the stool next to him, close enough for their knees to brush, his smile widened. 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said with a grin, handing a set of seafood crackers to Cas.

“Hello, Dean.” Cas said, accepting the tool and cracking open a crab leg. 

They ate quietly, knees touching, laughing at each other when they struggled with cracking their crabs or accidentally squirted themselves when the shells split open. It was comfortable and companionable, and somewhere inside Castiel, his heart was aching with longing for the beautiful, green-eyed artist whose eyes were dancing with mirth as they made a mess with their crabs and corn on the cob.

Later, shoes left behind and bare toes in the sand, they walked down the beach in the moonlight. Castiel breathed deeply, drawing in the salty air and releasing it with a pleased sigh. “So, how did someone as young as you get lucky enough to own a bed and breakfast down here?” he asked, breaking the silence between them. “Real estate isn’t cheap at the shore.”

“I’m afraid luck didn’t have much to do with it,” Dean said, a hint of sadness inching its way into his voice. “And I’m not that young, _young man._ ”

“Please, you can’t be any older than 25,” Cas scoffed. 

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dean said, looking over at Cas with a soft smile. “I’m 30. Sam is the baby at 26.”

“That’s still young to be able to afford a place like that,” Cas gestured vaguely behind him in the general direction of the Inn.

Dean sighed. “Well, it helps that it’s also my home. So, only one set of utility bills and one mortgage. The summer guests pay a premium and it’s enough to carry us through with the added income of my art.” He swallowed, then plopped down, laughing when Castiel took a few more steps without noticing before turning around and joining him in the sand. “Sorry. Wanted to sit for the rest of the story.”

Cas nodded and turned his attention on Dean, suddenly anxious about hearing the rest. “Ok,” he said softly.

“Sam and me, we bought the Inn together. He lives a little further inland with his girlfriend, Jess. She’s a sweet girl, but tough. Puts him in his place when he needs it. I think you’d like her… anyway,” he paused, his head tipping back so he could look up at the stars and gather strength for the rest. “We had a pretty sizable down payment.”

Cas listened in silence as Dean paused again. He had a feeling whatever he had to say, it wasn’t easy. A minute passed, and Cas acted on impulse, reaching across the short space between them and resting a comforting hand on Dean’s knee. He heard Dean draw in a shaky breath, and then the warmth of Dean’s hand covered his own, squeezing it lightly. 

“Our parents were out one night… their anniversary,” Dean made a pained sound in the back of his throat and Cas turned his hand palm up, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. Dean looked over at him with sad eyes, then down to their joined hands where they sat on his knee then continued. “There was an accident, drunk driver. The bastard walked away without a scratch, but my parents’ car flipped and caught fire. Lost them both.”

“Dean, I’m so sorry,” Cas said, squeezing Dean’s hand and getting a weak squeeze back in response. 

“It was a while ago. Still hard, but… Sammy was still in high school at the time, so I took care of him. He was a good distraction. I had to make sure he kept his grades up, didn’t knock any one up, you know, the whole nine yards,” he said with a dark chuckle. “We were ok. They both had life insurance, and our Uncle Bobby convinced me to sue, so we got some money from the lawsuit. After Sammy graduated, he went to school for business on a full scholarship, as boring as that is, and we got to talking. We decided to buy the inn right after he got his degree. He takes care of the business end and most of the customer service, and I do most of the grunt work and make my art. He does breakfast and I do dinner. The guests fend for themselves for lunch. So far, so good. We even turn a decent profit in the end.”

Castiel slid a little closer, never letting go of Dean’s hand. “You’re strong, Dean,” he cut Dean off when he scoffed and tried to argue. “No, you are. You went through one of the worst things someone can go through, and you thrived. You created a life for yourself and your brother out of the ashes of that tragedy. You should be proud of everything you’ve built. You should be proud of the man Sam turned out to be. And you… you’re…” he trailed off.

“I’m what, Cas?” 

“You’re perfect.”

They had gravitated closer as they’d been talking, ending up with their shoulders pressed together, and it took nothing for Dean to close the gap between them, capturing Castiel’s lips in a soft kiss. It was sweet, a barely there press of their lips, and then they were breaking apart to stare at each other in wonder.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time I saw you,” Dean confessed.

Castiel smiled wide and lunged forward, stealing a kiss of his own with far more force than Dean had used. Dean laughed into the kiss and caught Cas, wrapping his arms around him as Cas climbed into his lap.

“Me too,” Cas breathed against Dean’s lips when they finally broke apart again. 

“What do you say we get out of here,” Dean said suggestively, waggling his eyebrows as his hands slid down to grab handfuls of Castiel’s firm ass. 

Cas bit his lip, and even though it was too dark to see him clearly, Dean could tell he was blushing. “I’m not sure… I mean, I don’t think I’m ready for… _that._ I’m sorry.”

Dean leaned in and kissed him softly, and he felt some of the tension leave Cas’ shoulders. “It’s fine, Cas. We don’t have to be in a hurry. We have all summer.”

“You would wait?” Cas asked, a hint of wonder in his voice.

“‘Course I can wait. I’m not an animal,” Dean said with a laugh. “I uh, I like you, Cas.”

Cas smiled again, and Dean really thought he could get used to those straight, white teeth and the way Cas’ nose crinkled up when he was smiling extra wide. “I like you too,” Cas said, finally, and Dean breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Come on, let’s head back. I want to get up early and get back to that window.”

.  
.  
.

Dean was already locked away in the backroom again by the time Cas roused himself and made his way down to the garage. He sleepily started to set up his workstation, sipping the mug of coffee he’d brought with him from the Inn. 

“Hey,” Dean said quietly, poking his head out the door before emerging to join Cas. “I thought I heard you out here.” He carefully pulled the door shut behind him, which did nothing more than make Cas even more curious to see what he’d been working on.

“Good morning,” Cas said with a yawn. 

“Rough night?” Dean asked, reaching out to rub Cas’ arm before tentatively leaning in to place a kiss on his cheek.

Cas felt himself warming up to the morning a little more after he felt the brush of Dean’s lips against his skin. “Couldn’t sleep. Kept thinking about last night.”

Dean’s face fell a little. “Regretting it?”

“What? No!” Cas said loudly. “Just… I wasn’t completely honest with you, and it bothered me all night. I think I ended up with a couple hours of sleep, but I’m fucking exhausted, so I better just come out with it or I may never get a decent night’s sleep again.”

“Uh oh, should I be scared?”

Cas averted his eyes and shook his head. “No, I don’t think so… it’s just… you’re 30, Dean.”

“Ok, but I already knew that Cas… unless… is that a problem? Shit, I’m too old for you. Fuck… now I feel like a dirty old man…”

“It’s not that,” Cas said quickly, reaching out to pull Dean closer. “Ok. You’re 30, and I’m 21… and we have the life experience of a 30 year old and a 21 year old… and I was… am… I _am_ socially awkward. You make me feel less socially awkward, but growing up, and even in college, I just… I’m a loner.”

“Cas… are you trying to tell me that you’re a virgin?” Dean asked, a smirk slowly tilting up at he corner of his mouth. When Cas turned away, looking self-conscious, Dean softened, pulling Cas into his arms. “Hey, it’s ok.”

“It’s embarrassing, is what it is,” Cas said, melting into Dean’s embrace, his own arms coming up to wrap around Dean loosely. 

“No, it’s not. Look, I do have more experience with sex, but if it puts us on more equal footing, I had no experience with men until I was 25. I was a repressed bisexual up until then, and when it finally happened it was a fumbly, unsatisfying one night stand.”

“And you’ve had five years more experience since then,” Cas said with a pout.

“All women,” Dean admitted. “I was scared to try again with a dude after that. I go to bars. I look at men, maybe share a dance or make out, but I haven’t wanted to let one touch me again… until now.”

Cas took a step back and inclined his head a tiny bit, looking at Dean with wide, disbelieving eyes. “I-is that true?”

“Yeah, Cas. I was starting to wonder if maybe I wasn’t truly bisexual, or if that guy somehow broke me. But you walked in here a couple weeks ago, and I swear, I had to fight to keep my heart in my chest, it was pounding so hard. If I’m being completely honest, I think I was half gone on you from the first phone call. We just… clicked.”

Cas tipped his chin up and Dean took his hint, bringing their lips together in a sweet, deep kiss. A moment passed and he felt the soft, wet nudge of Castiel’s tongue and he opened to him, moaning softly into Cas’ mouth as their tongues brushed together. 

“Mmm,” Cas hummed as the kiss broke and he blinked his eyes open to find Dean staring back at him, adoration shining in his eyes. He wondered, not for the first time since they met, how quickly one can fall in love. 

“I should get back to it,” Dean said, his eyes flicking over to the door of his private workroom. 

“Yeah, I have a few pieces I want to get finished today,” Cas said absently before leaning in to kiss Dean again. “For the record, I think I could be ready. Not now, but at some point, with you.”

Dean smiled and let out a low chuckle. “That’s good news, Cas. Really good news.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a chance I start to earn the E rating in this chapter.
> 
> Maybe.
> 
> Possibly.
> 
> *couch*definitely*cough*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday!

Stolen kisses and dinners shared at the kitchen island began to dominate their free time, of which, there wasn’t a whole lot. Dean spent at least 10 hours a day in his little room at the back of the garage, working on what he was beginning to think of as his pièce de résistance. Cas was cranking out piece after piece, working on larger stained glass panels now that he had the hang of it. He was even driving orders to the shops himself and collecting checks to save Dean time.

When Dean wasn’t immersed in colored glass and molten lead, he was out cutting the grass, or pulling weeds in the garden. He still glanced wistfully at the empty spot on the back lawn that remained pergola-free and barren, and longed for the day the window was completed so he could build it. Not that he'd rush his art for the sake of a pergola. He knew the window had to be perfect if he was ever going to have the nerve to show it to Castiel, his perfect, ineffable muse… his angel.

Castiel had taken to lingering in the kitchen before and after dinner, helping Dean cook, loading the dishwasher or wiping down the stove and countertops, just so they could spend more time in each other’s orbits. Some nights, one or both of them would end up pressed to a wall or sitting on the countertop with the other between their knees as they made out slow and lazy. Other nights, it was less slow and lazy and more frenzied, ending in marks sucked into sensitive skin and cocks hard and straining in their pants from the friction caused when they ground their hips together on impulse. Every night ended the same though, with Cas reluctantly pulling away from Dean with an apology and a shy smile and Dean’s soft, “It’s ok, Cas. I can wait.”

June was waning with a heat wave that left the air oppressive and muggy when Dean stopped Castiel at the door to the garage one morning in nothing but swim trunks and a tank top that showed off very toned arms.

“I think we both deserve a day off,” Dean said, kissing Castiel and drawing him close in spite of the sticky heat in the air that left their clothing clinging to their sweaty bodies. 

Castiel smiled back at Dean, a twinkle in his eye. “Do you have something special planned?” he asked, hands planted firmly on Dean’s hips. 

“Beach day?” Dean asked and it was worth playing hooky for the way it made Castiel light up.

“Yes, please,” Cas responded brightly, and he was being pushed toward the house to change into beachwear seconds later.

Assuming Cas would agree to the escape, Dean had already packed a backpack with sunscreen, a huge blanket, a couple towels and his bluetooth speaker, and a small cooler with water and sandwiches. He let himself into the shed and gathered up everything else they needed while Cas was changing, piling a couple beach chairs and a bright, rainbow striped beach umbrella on the front lawn. It would take both of them to carry everything, but once they schlepped everything down the street and across the sand, they could get settled and be plenty comfortable all day.

When Castiel joined him on the porch, Dean nearly swallowed his tongue. Cas wasn’t wearing a speedo by any means, but the shorts he has chosen left not much more to the imagination than one would have. Dean wasn’t stupid. He’d felt the size of Cas’ hard cock pressed against his hip on occasion and knew he wasn’t lacking in that department, but the bulge visible in his tiny shorts even while flaccid left Dean staring inappropriately. 

“Dean,” Cas all but growled. “My eyes are up here.”

Dean cleared his throat and forced himself to avert his gaze from the way Cas was temptingly crammed into his tiny swim trunks. “You’re killing me Cas. Do you even know what you look like in those?”

“Like a man in swim shorts?” Cas said with a shrug. He tugged at the hem of his tank top as if he could magically make it long enough to cover his package.

“Like an incredibly hot man in very tiny swim shorts,” Dean corrected. His eyes roamed freely over all the skin that had been hidden from him up to this point. Cas was firm and tight, all tan skin and lithe muscle. He had great arms and a light smattering of body hair that in no way hinted that he’d be a bear any day soon. And those thighs. How did he manage to get those thighs in those shorts?

Cas blushed bright red and looked down at himself while shuffling his feet nervously. “Should I change? My other pair is similar, but I can just throw on some regular shorts instead?”

“Don’t you dare change,” Dean said, letting his eyes drop a little lower to take in the curve of Cas’ neck and the way it melted into his shoulders and sharp collar bone. Damn, he was just really well put together. “Can I see the back?” Dean wiggled his eyebrows, leaving Cas even redder than before and biting his lip to keep from laughing.

“I’m not a piece of meat,” Cas teased, even while he turned his back to Dean and glanced at him over his shoulder to gauge his reaction.

“Oh fuck,” Dean all but gasped as Castiel’s round ass came into view. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and grab two handfuls of that firm perfection. He wanted to strip Cas’ shirt off just to see the way his lower back dipped into a delicious curve just above that perfect ass. He wanted to bend Cas over and watch him arch and push his ass out while begging to be filled. “Jesus, Cas. You’re so fucking hot and you don’t even seem to know it. I apologize in advance for growling at anyone who even glances in your general direction.” 

He risked it, reaching out to run his hand down the center of Castiel’s back, smirking when Cas arched back into his touch, his head falling back a little as he reveled in the feeling. Encouraged by Cas’ reaction, Dean reached out with his free hand, hooking it around Cas’ waist and pulling him back against his chest. Cas let out a little whimper, and Dean felt it shoot through him like lightning, his dick twitching with interest as Cas’ ass pushed back against his groin. Dean’s hand slid up Cas’ abdomen, coming to rest on his chest, and he leaned in to place an open-mouth kiss under Cas’ ear, earning him a small moan in return.

“Fuck,” Dean gasped when Castiel reached back and buried a hand in Dean’s hair, encouraging Dean to stay right where he was. His lips pressed back against Cas’ skin, kissing, then sucking at his pulse point until he felt Cas’ back arch and ass press firmly against his steadily hardening cock. “Fuck, sorry,” Dean said, letting go of Cas and taking a step back.

Cas turned back to face him again, his eyes dark and his bottom lip spit-slick from being sucked between his teeth while Dean all but felt him up. His skin was flushed and sweaty from cheeks to chest and he was panting softly. “It’s fine, Dean,” he said with a soft smile. “I wasn’t exactly pushing you away.”

Dean chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to Cas’ lips. “Still. We have boundaries in place and I shouldn’t get carried away just because you look like sex on a stick.”

Cas looked away bashfully with a smile, and he was just so adorable, Dean wanted to scream. How dare he go from walking sex to sweet and shy in 2 seconds flat? 

“Um, yeah, anyway, here,” Dean dug into his pocket pulling a beach badge out and holding it out to Cas.

Cas raised an eyebrow in challenge and stuck out one leg, indicating that Dean should be the one to pin the badge to his shorts.

“Oh come, on!” Dean grumbled, swiping a hand over his mouth. “Fucking killing me, Cas.” He squatted in front of Castiel, sliding two fingers under the hem of the shorts and pulling the tight fabric away from Cas’ thick thigh. He sighed and carefully pushed the pin through the fabric and making sure the end of it was secured by the little hook. Glancing up at Cas from under his lashes and finding himself being watched by dark, hooded eyes, Dean pushed his luck, leaning in to place a kiss on Cas’ inner thigh. Cas sucked in a sharp breath and bit his lip, shaking his head when Dean just smirked up at him then pushed himself to his feet.

“Come on, Angel. Let’s go to the beach,” he said, reaching out to tug Cas along by his hand.

It only got worse for Dean once they got to the beach and settled in. Dean laid out the blanket, putting the chairs on the back two corners, and the backpack and cooler on the front two, keeping it safe from being blown around by the sea breeze. While he did that, Castiel worked the pointed end of the umbrella into the sand, his biceps straining as he fought to work it deep enough to keep it rooted to the spot. 

Dean watched the muscles flex and twitch, clearing his throat before speaking to distract himself away from wanting to take Castiel right there on the beach in front of hundreds of other sunbathers. “You’re a pro at that,” he said lightly.

“I told you I pretty much grew up down here,” Cas says with a shrug. He gave the pole a little wiggle to test it, then plopped into an empty chair, satisfied the umbrella wouldn’t be going anywhere. “ I can’t even tell you how many beach umbrellas I’ve witnessed blowing down the beach with someone chasing after it. Poor planning, really. I don’t even feel bad for them.”

Dean bent over in laughter. “You’re really cutthroat, you know that?”

“I’m just not a beach rookie. These people come down here and half ass their umbrella and put others in danger,” Cas answered with another shrug before grabbing the hem of his tank top and pulling it over his head.

“Fucking hell,” Dean grumbled as Castiel’s firm chest and small, dark nipples were revealed. 

Cas looked over and smirked at him, shrugging again. “You’re going to see me naked eventually anyway.”

Dean choked on his own spit, coughing as Cas banged on his back and laughed at him. “You can’t just say things like that, Cas!” Dean said once he caught his breath again. 

“Why not? It’s true.” Cas said nonchalantly, pushing himself out of his chair to retrieve a bottle of water for Dean. He opened it, handing it to Dean and waited for him to take a sip, an eyebrow raised in silent command. After Dean swallowed down half the bottle, Cas put it back in the cooler to keep it cold and sat back down. “Now, isn’t it your turn to show a little skin?”

Dean blushed under Castiel’s gaze as it roamed over him from head to toe. He stood, just the tiniest bit self-conscious about the way his tummy looked a bit pudgy while he was sitting, and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the blanket at his feet. “Happy now?” he said, arms out to the side as he did a little 360 degree turn.

“Very happy,” Cas said suggestively as he gave Dean an exaggerated up and down look over. “Look at all those freckles. I bet you burn to a crisp if you come out from under the umbrella,” he teased.

“I’ll have you know, I tan pretty good when I’m not shut away in the garage all summer,” he said with a pout. “That said, I haven’t had the chance to build up a base, so if you’ll excuse me.” He grabbed the sunscreen out of the back pack and went to town, coating everything he could reach with SPF 50. 

“I can get your back,” Cas offered as he watched Dean struggle to reach.

“Thanks, Babe,” Dean said, handing off the sunscreen and settling on the blanket between Castiel’s knees. 

He flinched when the cool lotion was squirted between his shoulders blades, but then hot, big hands were smoothing the blob into his skin. Cas’ firm touch felt almost like a massage as it worked the lotion from Dean’s shoulders to lower back. He was torn between arousal and appreciation for how much care went into it when Cas slipped his hand just under his waistband. The attention to detail was just enough to have Dean’s heart skip a beat. Even if his shorts crept down a bit in the waves, Cas had him covered.

“There,” Cas said, nudging Dean’s shoulder with his knee before squirting some lotion into his hands and rubbing it into his own skin. Dean returned the favor, getting Cas’ back, then they sat back and let themselves relax a bit in the ocean breeze that did little to cool them on such an oppressively hot day.

Later, they broke out the lunch Dean packed, and ate as they watched kids play in the waves. Cas swallowed down his last bit, rubbing his hands together to get rid of the crumbs, then stood with a stretch. 

“I’m going in,” he said decisively. 

“Wait for me, I have like, two bites left,” Dean said with a pout.

“Nope. You were too slow and I’m ready to go in now.” Cas walked quickly down to the shoreline to avoid his feet getting burned in the sand, and stood ankle deep in the water. 

Dean stayed where he was for a few minutes even after his sandwich was long gone and sitting in his stomach. What could he say? He was enjoying the view. Cas was standing there in the sun, waves breaking and washing over his feet, broad, tan shoulders glistening. Dean let his eyes wander up the long lines of his legs and over the curve and dip of his ass and lower back then let them linger on those muscled shoulders. Fuck, his boyfriend was hot.

Cas turned slightly to shoot a glance over his shoulder and Dean felt his insides melt when Cas’ face lit up in a smile. Cas beckoned for him to join him, and Dean just crossed his arms over his knees before shaking his head and dropping his chin to rest on them. He could see Castiel’s blush even from where he sat more than a few yards away, and knew Cas could tell he was just taking in the view. Cas shook his head, laughing and took a few more steps into the ocean, stopping when the water licked his hips.

Dean watched as Cas jumped with every wave, his body rising and falling with the ease of someone who had spent a lot of time at the beach. A particularly large wave was coming toward the shoreline and Cas took advantage, diving into it and rising out on the other side, shaking out his hair, turning and beaming at Dean as water rolled off his body in enticing rivulets. 

He was so wrapped up in watching his boyfriend he never noticed how closely one of the lifeguards had also been watching until his smug, red-shorts-clad-ass was wading over to Cas and striking up a conversation. He watched as Cas’ smile fell and he started shaking his head no. The lifeguard didn’t let up, reaching out to gently touch Cas’ arm as he continued to talk. Cas took a step back in the water, losing his footing when a wave crashed into him, catching him off guard, and the lifeguard reached out with both hands, grasping Cas by the biceps to steady him. 

Dean was starting to see red, rising to his feet and readying himself to go help the second Cas indicated he needed saving. Cas seemed fine though, and Dean didn’t want to come off as a jealous asshole who didn’t think Cas could take care of himself, so he stayed rooted to the spot, watching carefully.

Cas shrugged out of the lifeguard’s grasp, giving him a tight smile as a thank you for keeping him upright. When the lifeguard spoke again, Cas was back to shaking his head, this time pointing up the beach to where Dean stood watching. The lifeguard turned to look, giving Dean the up and down then smirking at him like a douchebag before turning back to Cas and shrugging and continuing his conversation. 

Cas was shaking his head again, this time turning away to wade a little further into the ocean to get away from the dickhead, and Dean was moving before he could stop himself when dickhead started to follow Cas. 

“Oh hell no,” he grumbled to himself as his feet carried him through the hot sand and into the surf. Cas was shoulder deep in the ocean now, rising and falling with the waves and looking distressed as the lifeguard continued to talk to him and Dean dove under the next wave and swam out to him.

“Hey, Angel,” Dean said with a bright smile as if nothing was afoot. 

“Dean,” Cas breathed out on a sigh of relief. 

Dean reached out to Cas, pulling him through the water and against his chest before kissing the breath right out of him. They kissed for long enough that Cas’ hands found their way to his hips and they were both panting. When they finally separated, the lifeguard was swimming back to shore. They watched as he toweled off and climbed the lifeguard stand to sit next to his partner with a scowl on his face. The partner was cackling at him for striking out, and that made Dean laugh in turn.

“I guess Lifeguard McDouche doesn’t appreciate rejection,” Dean said with a chuckle.

“His name is Cole, and not even a little bit,” Cas answered with a frown. “I told him no three times. I even said I have a boyfriend and pointed you out and he just acted like he was better than you. Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Anytime Cas. I wanted to storm in earlier, but I thought he’d leave you alone after you said no. Was I wrong? Should I have come out here sooner?” Dean asked, pulling Cas more tightly against himself as they bobbed in the waves.

“No. I was fine. I appreciate you letting me take care of myself, but I was more than a little relieved that you show up when you did. He kept calling me ‘Sweetheart,’ it gave me the creeps.” Cas gave a performative shudder that made Dean laugh.

“Yeah, guys can be pretty creepy. All the more proof we don’t choose our sexuality. Who would even choose to be attracted to men?” Dean joked before leaning in and nuzzling Cas’ neck. “But here we are, and I can’t help myself.”

Cas giggled and kissed Dean deeply, whimpering against his lips when Dean lifted him behind the knees and pulled his legs around his waist. Cas went with ease, locking his ankles in the curve of Dean’s lower back, allowing Dean to hold him close as they made out like teenagers. He could feel the hard line of Dean’s cock pressing against the sensitive spot behind his balls, and his heart rate sped as he willingly ground down against it, coaxing a deep groan from deep in Dean’s throat.

“Fuck,” Dean gasped, his hands tightening around Cas’ shoulders as the waves rocked them against each other. The thrill of Cas getting a bit more handsy was fantastic, but the taboo that came with grinding against each other so publicly had Dean rock hard and yearning for release. “Cas, you gotta stop,” he said as Cas’ legs tightened around him and his hard cock pressed against Dean’s belly.

“Why?” Cas breathed out against his lips. He rocked his hips against Dean, then down against Dean’s straining erection. “Do you really want me to stop, Dean?” He nipped at Dean’s lower lip, grinning against his lips when Dean reacted by kissing him hard and thrusting his hips upward. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean all but moaned. “Let me… can I…” Dean pushed Cas’ legs until they fell away from his hips and Cas was standing on his feet again. “I wanna touch you.” 

They were further out than everyone else, and a cursory glance around let them know that no one was really paying them much attention. Cas bit his lip and nodded, and as Dean’s fingers brushed against his crotch, Cas let his eyes flutter shit as a tiny moan fell from his lips.

“I wanna make you come,” Dean said, his voice pitched low and rough with arousal. “I wanna make you feel so good.”

Cas nodded, his head falling to rest against Dean’s shoulder as Dean tried to hide his shock at Cas’ willingness to do such a thing in public. Hell, even Dean was feeling a bit reluctant.

Dean had been in Cape May enough summers now to know the boundaries set up by the lifeguards. There were little dead spaces between the flags where no one was supposed to swim because the lifeguards couldn’t reach them in time should they get themselves into trouble. Far fewer people congregated on the beach in these spots, and almost no one ventured near them while swimming. Dean tugged Cas along through the water until they reached the very edges of the safe zone. If they got caught in an undertow, they could be in trouble, but the chance to touch Cas’ dick left Dean ready to live on the edge.

Dean pulled Cas close again and cupped him through his shorts. Cas looked down to watch, but the water was too dark to see anything. Instead, he felt it when Dean pushed his swim trunks low enough to free his hard cock from it’s confines. 

“Oh, my God,” he whispered when Dean’s hand wrapped around him, stroking him slowly from root to tip, then back down again.

“That feel good, Angel?” Dean asked, and Cas just nodded against his shoulder. Dean turned them so that Cas’ back was facing the beach, just in case anyone was watching. He didn’t want anyone else to see Cas’ face when he made him come for the first time. That was Dean’s to witness, and Dean’s alone.

Cas’ head fell back as he gasped in pleasure and Dean dipped his head to plant soft kisses along the column of Cas’ throat as he continued to jack him slowly with a tight fist. He swiped his thumb over the head of Cas’s cock before pressing it to the frenulum and massaging the spot until Cas was shaking and clutching at his shoulders. 

“That’s it, Angel. Let me make you feel good,” Dean crooned against the shell of Cas’ ear, smirking in triumph when his warm breath caused Cas to shudder against him.

One hand slid from Dean’s shoulder and under the water. Seconds later, Dean was moaning against Cas’ shoulder as he felt Cas’ hand dip into his shorts and wrap around him.

“Is this ok?” Cas asked, breathlessly as he began to stroke him, mirroring Dean’s motions on his cock. 

“You don’t have to,” Dean offered, softly.

“I want to,”Cas said firmly, squeezing Dean’s cock, then stroking him with more pressure.

“Then fuck yeah, it’s more than ok, Cas.”

He began to stroke Cas faster, almost blowing his own load when he felt Cas start to thrust into the tight tunnel of his fist, chasing his own pleasure. “Fuck, yeah, Baby. Go after it. So hot. You’re so hot, Angel,” Dean praised as Cas’ little thrusts started to stutter. 

“Dean,” Cas moaned, his fist flying over Dean and pushing him closer to the edge of his own climax. His free hand was buried in the short ends of Dean’s hair and his forehead was pressed to Dean’s shoulder. He was panting and shaking, his cock twitching and throbbing in Dean’s fist. “Faster,” he pleaded. 

Dean nodded and complied, tightening his grip and jacking Cas fast. His other hand wrapped around Cas’ squeezing until Cas followed suit, gripping Dean in a grip just this side of painful. “I wanna come with you Baby,” he whispered. “You close?”

“So close, Dean,” Cas all but moaned in reply. His breathing was shallow and rapid, his fingers had moved higher, twisting in the longer hair at Dean’s crown and making little sparks of pain mix with Dean’s pleasure. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean choked out as his body seized and he felt himself shoot his release hard into the water.

“Oh, fuck,” Cas whimpered as he followed Dean over the edge, hips twitching as he came. 

He sagged against Dean as they stroked each other through the last dying sparks of their orgasms, and Dean held him up, kissing his way over Cas’ forehead and cheeks. Cas met him with a lazy, but passionate kiss when Dean’s lips found their way to his. 

“Thank you,” Cas said dreamily.

Dean couldn’t help but laugh as he tucked Cas away in his shorts, then did himself because Cas was basically useless post-orgasm, a fact that he’d tuck away for later.

“No Angel, thank you,” Dean kissed Cas again, and Cas melted against him, arms wrapping loosely around his waist as Cas’ tongue massaged his own lightly. They kissed slow and sweet for a couple minutes, before Dean broke the kiss. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we turn into prunes.”

“Mmm hmm,” Cas hummed, still lost to the bliss of their mutual hand jobs. 

Dean chuckled again and tugged at Cas’ hand, leading them back to the shoreline. They struggled through the breaking waves and sidestepped around everyone crowding the shallower waters and up onto the sand.

“I bet Lifeguard McDouche knows who you belong to now,” Dean said with a chuckle as he looked up at the lifeguard stand to see the man scowling down at them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late today, but here we are ;)

That night, after showers to clean away the sand and salt, and a satisfying dinner, Castiel was stacking clean plates and sliding them into their designated spot in the cabinet while Dean cleaned the stove and counters. The din of the guests in the next room socializing was lively and loud enough to mask their own conversation, so Castiel cleared his throat and posed a question. 

“How long?” Cas asked as he closed the cabinet door and reached down to retrieve the basket of clean cutlery from the dishwasher.

“Til what?” Dean asked, his brows drawn together in confusion.

Cas set the silverware down on the counter, then leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest as if they could shield him. “How long would you wait for me to be ready to have sex?”

“I’d say we’re making a little headway in that department after today, but if you’re not ready to do anything else, it’s fine.” Dean shrugged, then returned to the pot he’d been scrubbing. “And by the way, that was sex too, you know. It’s not all about penetration.”

“Yes, I know, but that wasn’t the question. You’ve been very patient. I guess I’m just wondering when your patience will run out.”

Dean finished rinsing the pot, then set in on the rack to drip dry before drying his hands and turning to face Cas. “Come ‘ere,” he said, holding his arms wide in invitation. Cas sighed and came forward, practically falling into Dean’s arms, melting against him when he felt strong hands rub soothingly up and down his back. “I’d wait forever for you,” Dean murmured against his ear before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. “As long as it takes.”

Cas nodded against Dean’s chest and tightened his grip. “I’m ready,” he said with such conviction, it caused a giggle to bubble up and burst free from Dean, filling the room with warm laughter.

“So that was some sort of test?” Dean said with a grin.

Cas shrugged. “Of sorts. Maybe more for me than you… I just wanted to be sure. Your answer made me sure.” He turned away and started to put the silverware away, sorting it into its individual slots. “The orgasm you gave me earlier didn’t hurt your case either. I think I’d like a few more of those before I go back to school.”

“So that’s it? You just tell me that you’re ready, then go back to putting the dishes away like nothing’s changed?” Dean said with a laugh, reaching out to grasp Cas’ hips and pull him back against his chest, the spoon in Castiel’s hand dropping to the floor with a clatter. 

Cas tipped his head back to rest against Dean’s shoulder and Dean took advantage of the long stretch of skin before him, placing sucking kisses up the column of Cas’ throat. “It’s 7pm, Dean. The entire house is awake, and you promised the guests pie tonight,” Cas argued.

Dean huffed in annoyance, his hot breath ghosting tantalizingly over Cas’ skin. “Fine,” he pouted, pulling away and shoving his hands into a pair of oven mitts so he could take the pies out of the oven where they were warming. “You want cherry or apple?” he asked, placing the first of four pies on the marble countertop.

Cas bit his lip, as he thought about it. “Cherry,” he said, with a smirk. “I think it’s appropriate for tonight.”

Dean swallowed audibly when he looked at Cas and saw the gorgeous creature standing before him, cheeks flush, bottom lip tucked in between his teeth, his blue eyes dark with desire. “Fuck, Cas. You look so hot right now, I won’t even point out that dudes don’t have a cherry to pop.”

Cas laughed heartily, grabbing a set of potholders, picking up one of the apple pies and carrying it out to the dining room before Dean could pull himself together.

.  
.  
.

“Are you nervous?” Dean asked, his right hand raking through the cool sand, and his left held firmly in Castiel’s. They’d decided to go for a walk to clear their heads and let the guests settle in for the night, and they’d ended up sitting in the sand watching the waves.

“It’s strange. Earlier, when things just happened, I wasn’t nervous at all. Even though we were in public and no one has ever touched me like that, I was fine. But now that there’s time to think about it, I am a little nervous. Weren’t you, your first time?” Cas asked in reply. He was staring out over the water, watching the waves break and crash against the shoreline and clutching Dean’s hand in a death grip as if he was afraid Dean would float away if he let go.

“Not really,” Dean shrugged. “I was young. It just happened. One second I was dancing with a girl at a high school party, the next, we’d locked ourselves in an empty bedroom and just went at it. We were both drinking and it was over in about 3 minutes. Pathetic, really. I barely remember it.” He chuckled darkly. 

“You make it sound so magical,” Cas said, sarcastically. 

“Your first time won’t be like that, Cas,” Dean promised. “I’ll make it good for you, and if you want to take it all back and keep waiting, that’s fine too. There’s no rush.”

“I’ll be going back to school in a month,” Cas sighed. “I just found you, and I have to leave again.”

Dean leaned in, pressing their shoulders together, then kissed Castiel’s temple. “One, that doesn’t mean we have to rush anything. And two, Philly is only an hour and a half away. We can see each other every weekend if we work for it. I don’t exactly want to give you up either, you know.”

“Really? You want to see me after the summer’s over?” His shock was genuine. He honestly thought this was just a summer fling, as little as he wanted that to be true, and he wondered how a nine year age gap could work in the long run. Wouldn’t Dean tire of him? He was barely old enough to drink, still in school and Dean is a homeowner with a thriving business. He had his whole life together, and Cas had no idea what he wanted to do when he graduated.

“I guess I should have made my intentions known. Shit, I’m so bad at relationships,” Dean scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed in frustration. “I want this to work, Cas. I haven’t liked anyone this much in years.”

“I’ve never liked anyone this much,” Cas said.

“So, we agree then,” Dean said cheerily. “This isn’t over when summer ends.”

Cas nodded and squeezed Dean’s hand, leaning into him for a kiss. “Tell me again how you’ll make it good for me.”

Dean laughed and stood, tugging Cas to his feet and pulling him back toward home. “How ‘bout I just show you?”

.  
.  
.

The Winchester Inn was an old Victorian home in the historic district of Cape May. It wasn’t as big as some of the other bed & breakfasts that dominated the area, but it was big enough to be what the Winchesters wanted. 

A sizable bedroom on the first floor was a favorite of young couples and rented out at a premium, due to its isolated location at the back corner of the home. Four other bedrooms sat on the second floor, also set aside for guests. Castiel was staying in one of the back bedrooms that overlooked the garage and back garden. It was the smallest bedroom, but he didn’t mind, considering he was staying for free and in the end, costing Dean money he could be making by renting the room out.

Dean, on the other hand, had what he considered to be the best room in the house. Back when he and Sam first bought the Inn, the first thing he did was give every room fresh paint. The second thing he did was rip out all the wall to wall carpeting the former owner was dumb enough to install, and he painstakingly restored the original hardwood floors hiding beneath to their former glory. The third thing he did was finish out the walk-up attic space. He had the HVAC system upgraded so he could heat and cool the large, airy space, and he finished it out with drywall, paint and flooring made from wood salvaged from old barns. He painted the walls a soft grey and invested in a huge, king sized bed with the most comfortable, non-squeaky, memory foam mattress money could buy. He covered the bed and windows in soft neutral fabrics and bought far too many pillows, thus creating his perfect little sleep oasis.

The ceiling of the room was peaked in places, mimicking the peaks of the roof just above his head, including over his bed, which made his sleep space feel almost cave-like. To lighten it up, he strung strands of white lights over the bed, creating a comfy, albeit almost feminine, space that somehow just worked. The room didn’t exactly vibe with the rest of the house’s old Victorian charm, but it was his own private space, and it very much reflected that.

“I don’t want to sound presumptuous, but if I moved up here, you could make money off of my room,” Cas said as he looked appreciatively around the room. 

“You just want me for my memory foam,” Dean joked.

“You got me. I’m using you for this big, soft bed,” Cas deadpanned, sitting on the edge of the mattress and reclining back to lean on his elbows, invitingly. 

Dean smirked and came to stand in front of Castiel, nudging his knees apart with one of his own so he could stand between them and lean down for a kiss. “Why don’t you move your stuff up here tomorrow?” he murmured against Cas’ lips, catching Cas’ gasp and swallowing it down with another kiss.

“Yeah?” Cas asked when the kiss broke. “You really want me up here with you every night for the next month?”

“Cas, I'd take you up here with me every night for forever, but the next month is a good start.” 

Castiel pulled Dean down on top of him after that declaration, something sparking and becoming an inferno deep inside of inside of him. It was like a switch had been flipped, and suddenly his nerves evaporated. He rolled them until he could settle on top of Dean, and Dean’s legs fell open for him as he arched up against Cas’ body.

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean gasped as Cas rolled his hips, grinding down against him. He could feel the hard line of Cas’ erection against his own, and he just laid there, letting Cas just go right ahead and _take_ what he wanted. The solid weight of him was much more delicious than the floaty grinding they’d done earlier in the ocean. “You sure you haven’t done this before?”

Cas huffed a laugh from where he’d buried his face in the crook of Dean’s neck. “I think it’s just instinct for men. We’re just biologically driven to fuck,” he said with another filthy grind, and Dean almost choked on his own tongue. “And I’m not completely innocent, Dean. I’ve _seen,_ sex, I’ve just never _had_ sex.”

“Oh God,” Dean groaned, his imagination providing him with a very vivid image of Cas settled in against his headboard, watching porn and stroking himself to completion. He was brought back to his present reality by the sharp snap of Castiel’s hips against his own and the low moan that rumbled up from somewhere deep in Cas’ throat. “Fuck, Cas… clothes… gotta go.”

Cas rolled off of Dean with less grace than he would have liked and they both started peeling clothes from their bodies and tossing them haphazardly off the side of the bed. The last pair of boxers landed on the rustic hardwood and they took a moment to kneel on the mattress and just look at each other.

“Cas,” Dean whispered in awe as his eyes traveled over smooth, tan skin, tight, lean muscles and the delicious hollows and divots that surrounded Cas’ hip and collar bones. “I guess there’s something to be said for dating a younger man,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Cas snorted in disbelief as he ran a hand over Dean’s firm chest, his mouth watering as he thought about tasting all that freckled skin. “You’re not so bad yourself, old man.” 

“Come ‘ere,” Dean said, and Cas inched closer until their knees were touching. They kissed softly, then Dean was urging Cas backward, spreading him out over the soft duvet. “If I do anything you don’t like, tell me right away.”

Cas nodded in reply and squirmed as Dean dragged his fingertips over his ribcage lightly, tickling him and watching goosebumps erupt over his smooth skin. Dean flicked his thumb over one nipple, then the other, smirking to himself when Cas let out a little whimper. 

“Sensitive nipples? I can work with that,” Dean said smugly, bending to nip at one while pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger. When Castiel’s fingers threaded though his hair to hold him in place, he sucked, then flicked the little, hard nub with his tongue, causing Cas to arch his back, a soft moan falling from parted lips. 

“More,” Cas pleaded, fingers tugging at the longer strands of hair on top of Dean’s head.

Dean pressed more firmly between Cas’ parted knees, rolling his hips into Cas, their cocks lining up, the delicious friction of their bodies moving together drawing broken moans out of both men. Cas pressed his hands to the sides of Dean’s neck, pulling him into a filthy kiss that he dominated in spite of Dean’s position above him. 

“Trust me?” Dean breathed against Castiel’s lips, pulling away when Cas answered with a nod and a whispered ‘yes.’ Dean inched his way down Cas’ body, lips and tongue tasting every dip and curve on the way to his final destination. He pushed Cas’ legs further apart and nipped and sucked at his fleshy inner thighs, marking them up with vivid red blotches while Cas writhed and keened and arched his back. “Mine,” Dean murmured against Cas’ skin as he looked at the marks he’d left behind. Cas let out a breathy little moan and snaked a hand down over his abdomen, wrapping it around his cock, and Dean slapped his hand away, replacing it with his own.

“I got you, Angel,” he said, stroking Cas in slow, fluid motions, his fist teasingly loose as Cas looked down at him with wide, dark eyes, able to watch everything this time and not wasting the opportunity.

Dean kissed the head of Cas’ cock, smirking and locking eyes with Cas when he heard him gasp in surprise. He held Cas’ gaze as he dipped his head, pressing his tongue to the base of the throbbing erection and licking slowly upwards, flicking his tongue over the frenulum a few times before taking the entire length into his mouth. He choked a little, Cas slipping into his relaxed throat as he swallowed him down to the root, and Cas whimpered as his throat contracted around him. Dean pulled back a little, then began to bob his head. When Cas’ hands came down to rest on the back of his head, he took it as encouragement to swallow Cas down again, so he took him as deep as possible, swallowing around his cock as Cas’ fingers tightened in his hair and held him there. Cas lifted his hips slightly, forcing his cock deeper and causing Dean to choke again before pulling him off completely by his hair.

“Sorry,” he whispered when Dean looked up at him, green eyes watery and almost black with lust.

“Don’t be,” Dean said, slipping a hand beneath his own body to palm his twitching cock and take the edge off. “I kinda like it when you take charge. Still trust me?”

“Yes, Dean,” Cas said, reaching down to run a hand soothingly through Dean’s hair. 

“Remember, tell me if you don’t like something,” Dean said, earnestly. 

He slid his hands up the back of Castiel’s thighs, pushing upward when his hands reached the crooks of his knees, and Cas took the hint, drawing his legs upward. Dean licked his way over Cas’ cock and balls, pressing his tongue against the perineum, then moved lower, flicking over Cas’ tight, pink hole. 

“Oh, God,” Cas gasped, hands now at his sides, twisting handfuls of the duvet as Dean’s tongue worked him over, teasing at all the little nerve endings in his rim. 

“This ok?” Dean asked, pausing to glance up at Cas to look for any signs of discomfort. 

“Don’t stop,” Cas snapped, reaching down with one hand to push Dean’s head back between his legs.

Dean chuckled and flicked his tongue over Cas’ rim once before speaking again. “So much for being a shy virgin.”

“Fuck you,” Cas said, no heat behind it. “I know what feels good, and unless you’d like a bullet point list of all the ways I’ve touched myself, you can just assume I’m up for pretty much any way you touch me.”

Dean’s head popped up to look up at him again and he replaced his tongue with his thumb, rubbing slow circles against Cas’ rim and spreading the saliva he’d left behind. “Noted… but maybe you can give me that list later anyway, for reasons. Bet you look real pretty when you touch yourself, Cas.”

“You’d know if you hadn’t smacked my hand away before,” Cas said with a snort. 

“Yeah, yeah. Enough talking,” Dean said before burying his face between Cas’ legs again, licking and pressing his tongue against his hole, urging it to relax and let him in. It wasn’t long before Cas was arching off the bed, moaning in pleasure, and Dean pushed his tongue inside him, just slightly. 

“Fuck,” Cas said, barely above a whisper when he felt Dean’s tongue breach him. “More.”

Dean pushed himself up to his knees and brought his index and middle fingers to Cas’ lips. “Open,” he urged and Cas complied, his lips parting, then closing over the digits pushed between them. “Suck. Get them nice and wet.” Dean felt his cock give a valiant twitch when Cas began to suck on his fingers, his tongue swirling around and between them. After a few more seconds, Dean pulled them free, then slid them between Cas’ legs, rubbing them wetly over his hole before slowly pushing the first one inside. Cas opened for him beautifully, accepting the first finger with no resistance, so after a few shallow thrusts, he pulled out and pushed back in with both fingers. 

“That ok?” he asked Cas, searching his face for any signs of pain. Cas just nodded then stared back at him with glassy eyes, plush, pink lips parted ever so slightly. He leaned in, trapping his arm between them and kissing Cas, sweet and deep as his fingers searched, then crooked, finding that spot inside Cas he knew could drive him wild.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Cas said quietly as Dean started massaging his prostate rhythmically in a way that made his cock twitch and begin to leak pre-cum onto his belly. “Keep doing that.” 

“Yeah? Think you could come like this?” Dean asked teasingly, pressing his face into the crook of Cas’ neck and sucking a bruise in the hollow of his collarbone. 

“I don’t want to… not yet, Dean,” Cas all but whined, even though he was starting to push back against Dean’s hand, fucking himself on Dean’s thick fingers.

“Mmm, could have fooled me,” Dean teased, his fingers slipping free as Cas huffed in annoyance at the loss. Cas scowled down at him, then Dean’s world was upended as he was forcibly rolled onto his back and covered with six feet of aroused art student. Cas pushed his way between Dean’s legs, dropping down and grinding hard.

“I can be a tease too, Dean,” he practically growled, gathering Dean’s wrists in his hands and pushing them into the mattress at either side of Dean’s head. 

“Oh, fuck,” Dean groaned, wrapping his legs around Cas’ waist, opening himself up for Castiel’s dirty hip rolls. 

“Yes,” Cas said thoughtfully. “Let’s do that. Let’s _fuck.”_

“Shit,” Dean said. Cas’ words had caused what little blood he had left in his brain to shoot south and his cock was rock hard and leaking between them. “Maybe we should have talked about this before, but how do you want to do this? We don’t have to go all the way if you’re not ready. We could just keep doing this.”

“No, I want to,” Cas said eagerly. “I just don’t know how… I mean, which way…who would…” For the first time all night, he looked every bit the inexperienced virgin, doubt coloring his features.

“Top or bottom?” Dean supplied, and Cas nodded. “We can just keep doing this, if you’re not ready. There are a lot of ways two guys can get off together.”

“I don’t just want to get off. We got off earlier,” Cas said softly. “I want to be close to you. I want to… I want to make love.”

Usually he found it cheesy and would have laughed at the phrase, ‘make love,’ but somehow, laying there with Cas settled between his legs, it actually fit the situation. He could easily fall in love with this young man, and he wanted their night together to be everything Cas dreamed of when he imagined losing his virginity. 

“Alright,” Dean said softly. “Then make love to me, Castiel.” He hooked his ankles together behind Cas’ back, tugging him in encouragingly.

Castiel’s eyes went wide and he pulled away, sitting back on his heels as he watched Dean spread himself out on the duvet, legs parted and cock hard and thick where it rested on his belly. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Do whatever feels right Cas. I’ll let you know if you need to adjust something. I’m already turned on, relaxed, and used to solo ass play, so you’re ahead of the game here. You’ll find everything you need in the nightstand.” He held a hand out and Cas took it, letting himself be tugged down into a kiss. 

Cas couldn’t help the moan that slipped from his lips as their bodies pressed together again, all that warm, sweat-slicked skin coming back together. Dean drew his knees up, wrapping his legs around Cas’ waist and pulling him down until their cocks slid alongside each other between their bodies. 

“Oh, Dean,” Cas gasped as a thousand little electric tingles exploded in his nerve endings, overwhelming him in the most glorious way. He was no stranger to sexual stimulation, but already, everything they’d done was leaps and bounds beyond even his best masturbatory session. “I want to taste you,” he said against Dean’s lips, and when Dean nodded his consent, Cas dipped down, taking Dean’s cock in hand and stroking it slowly. He rubbed a thumb over the head, slipping through the slick pre-cum that had gathered there and bringing it to his lips to suck it off curiously.

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean said, wide eyes looking down at Cas in awe. 

Cas licked his lips, rolling Dean’s flavor around on his tongue and finding it not at all unpleasant. Decision made, he bent and took Dean in his mouth without preamble, sucking him down as far as he could before pulling back and bobbing his head a few times. Dean choked on a moan, arching off the bed from the unexpectedly strong suction of Cas’ magical mouth, and Cas pulled off, flashing a cocky, sideways smirk up at him.

“Christ, Cas. Have you done this before?” Dean chuckled, knowing there are plenty of things Cas could have done over the years while remaining, technically, a virgin. His laugh dissolved into a little whimper as Cas began to stroke him slowly again.

“Never, but it’s not rocket science. I have a dick,” he said with a shrug. “I’m just doing what I think would feel good.” And with that, he swallowed Dean down again, sucking as if his life depended on it, only relenting minutes later when Dean begged him to stop.

“I don’t want to come yet,” Dean said, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. 

Cas pressed a kiss to the tip of his cock and flicked his tongue over it, watching in wonder as it twitched from the stimulation. He looked up at Dean, unsure. “I’m not sure what to do next,” he admitted.

Dean nodded in understanding and pushed himself up onto one elbow, reaching over to slide the drawer of his nightstand open. Cas crawled up the bed, looking into the drawer to quell his curiosity. In the drawer were some dirty magazines, a couple partially empty bottles of lube, condoms and a few toys. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a smallish black plug, running his fingers over the velvety smooth silicone. 

“You use this?” Cas asked, not judgmentally, just curiously, as if he was asking if it were going to rain tomorrow. He pushed a button and the plug started vibrating in his hand.

“Been single a while, Cas,” Dean said with a self deprecating chuckle, watching as Cas turned off the plug then poked around in his most personal possessions. Curiosity satisfied, Cas dropped the plug back in the drawer and retrieved a condom, dropping it on the mattress before digging through the drawer’s contents again. He picked up a dildo, about average in size, arching a brow at it as he held it up.

“I’m bigger than this,” he said as if doubting how he’d fit inside Dean.

“Yeah, I noticed that” Dean said, arching a brow and biting his lip suggestively. “But if it makes you feel better, I can take both of them.”

Cas’ eyes went wide and he reached into the drawer again, pulling out a slightly slimmer dildo and holding it up next to the first. “Dean,” he breathed, his voice lowered about 3 octaves from normal. He wrapped one hand around them both, assessing the girth and looking at the place between the tips of his middle finger and the tip of his thumb to see they couldn’t quite touch. 

“Feeling more confident about fitting?” Dean said, sitting up and yanking the toys from Cas’ hand then kissing his temple. He dropped the dildos back into the drawer unceremoniously and picked out his best lube, dropping it next to the condom. “For the record, I hate these,” Dean said, poking at the condom. “If we’re gonna keep doing this, I’m gonna get tested so I can feel you.”

Cas kissed him, fingers threading through the short hairs at the base of Dean’s skull. “Oh, we’re going to keep doing this, if I have anything to say about it.”

Dean pressed the bottle of lube into Cas’ hand with a wiggle of his brows, then laid face down on the bed, arching his back enough to push his ass in the air. “Open me up, Cas. I’d be willing to bet one of those bullet points about your self love involved fingering yourself, so get on with it.”

Cas huffed a laugh that sounded an awful lot like confirmation and threw a leg over Dean’s thighs, straddling the backs of his knees. He palmed Dean’s ass cheeks, massaging them in rolling circles that spread him open, flashing his hole periodically. The lube went forgotten on the bed somewhere. “You have such a nice ass, Dean,” Cas praised. “Round and firm. Almost hairless.” He leaned down and bit into the flesh of one cheek, and Dean gasped, his hips lifting up off the mattress. “You like that. What else do you like, Dean? I want to learn all the little things that turn you on.”

Dean swallowed nervously, unsure how much would be too much to admit during their first time. “Sometimes,” he paused, reveling in the strong hands squeezing and massaging his ass. With a sigh, he began to speak again. “Sometimes I like it when my ass is smacked. Not like over the knee spanking or anything, at least not that I know of. Never did it. Who knows? Maybe I would like it.” He laughed at his sudden stream of consciousness. 

“Hmm,” Cas hummed, hands skimming over his ass, then up his back, soothingly. He brought them back down, repeating the motion a few times to let Dean melt into the bed, then he lifted one hand from Dean’s skin and brought it back down fast, the sound of the slap reverberating off of Dean’s ass breaking the silence sharply. 

Dean moaned as the sting of the slap spread through his skin, warming it and turning it a vivid shade of pink. “Fuck, Cas,” he said on a sigh as Cas rubbed the stinging flesh, soothing it.

“That was ok?” Cas asked, leaning down to press a kiss to the cheek he’d just slapped.

“Yeah Cas, better than ok,” Dean admitted, rolling his hips a little, both in invitation and for the delicious friction the duvet provided on his cock. 

Cas brought his other hand up and swung, open palm connecting with Dean’s other ass cheek and giving him a matching set of perfect, pink handprints. Again, Cas was rubbing over the mark, then kissing it, and Dean was squirming under him, aroused to the point where his dick was aching. 

“Cas,” the name was a plea on Dean’s lips, and Cas answered by finding the lube where he’d left it on the mattress and opening it with a click of the lid. The cool drizzle of it over Dean’s crack made him gasp, a slow drip working it’s way south, over his hole then further still to drench his perineum filthily, in the best possible way.

A finger ran through the slick, spreading it before settling over his hole. Cas’ free hand palmed one ass cheek spreading him open so he could watch his finger circle Dean’s tight pucker. A satisfied sigh fell from Dean’s lips as Cas pressed in slowly with one finger, stopping only when he was buried up to the last knuckle. He twisted his wrist as he worked the finger out then back in again, brushing over Dean’s prostate before repeating it all over again. He could feel Dean relaxing around him, so he slid in a second finger, using the pads of both to seek out the rounded gland and massage it until Dean was begging for more.

Cas’ free hand moved to his own cock, stroking the throbbing length for some relief. Pleasuring Dean was more than enough to keep his own engines revving and he was fighting the urge to slam into Dean’s tight hole and fuck him right into the mattress. 

“Cas, please,” Dean begged, his ass rocking back as he fucked himself on Cas’ fingers. 

Cas released his own dick with a little growl, slapping Dean’s ass, “Be still,” he commanded, and Dean complied with a little whimper. To reward him, he slid a third finger inside, crooking them as he worked them faster in and out of Dean’s body. 

“Fuck,” Dean cried out, twisting the bedding in tight fists. “Cas, fuck. I’m gonna cum.”

“No,” Cas said firmly, pulling his fingers free and slapping Dean’s ass again, the shock of sting enough to distract Dean and keep himself together. 

Dean was panting into the duvet as Cas laid himself across his back, leaning in to press kisses along the length of his neck. Dean tipped his head back, turning it so he could capture Cas’ lips with his own in a soft kiss. “Fuck me,” he whispered against Cas’ lips. “I’m ready, Angel. Fuck me.”

Cas sat back, seeking out and finding the lube once more, dribbling some more over Dean’s crack before ripping open the condom packet and rolling the rubber over his cock. Dean pushed up onto his hands and knees, legs parted wide and hole glistening invitingly. Cas sighed, willing his nerves to dissipate, then got to his knees and shuffled behind Dean. He rubbed the head of his cock up and down Dean’s crack, wetting the tip by dragging it through the lube and teasing Dean’s hole while Dean made little content sounds and pushed back against Cas.

Finally, Cas bit his lip and lined up at Dean’s entrance, pushing firmly until Dean opened for him and he slid past the rim and into Dean’s tight heat. He slid in slowly until he bottomed out, releasing a deep breath and bending to press his forehead between Dean’s shoulder blades. He stayed still for a long moment, letting Dean adjust to being filled, and pressed sweet kisses across the back of Dean’s neck and shoulders. 

“Move,” Dean pleaded with a whisper, and Cas withdrew just a bit before pressing back in, his balls settling against Dean’s perineum. “Again,” Dean said, and this time, Cas built a slow rhythm, gripping Dean’s hips and pulling him back into each slow thrust. 

“Fuck,” Cas breathed out. The tight heat of Dean’s body around his cock was overwhelming, the best thing he’d ever felt in all his 21 years, and the way Dean moaned and rocked back against him had him barreling toward climax much faster than he would have liked. He pulled out completely, bending to lick over Dean’s wet hole a few times to slow it all down a little. Dean gasped and reached behind himself, fingers grasping at a handful of Castiel’s disheveled hair to hold him in place, and Cas complied, circling Dean’s rim with his tongue until Dean was squirming and begging to be fucked again.

“I want to see you,” Cas said when he finally pulled away, and Dean was scrambling to get to his knees and turn around to face him. 

They crashed into a kiss, arms wrapping around each other and cocks bumping between them, and then Dean was maneuvering Cas around until he was laying flat on the mattress. Castiel’s eyes went wide as Dean straddled him, sinking down on his cock before he could even considering protesting.

“This ok?” Dean asked once Cas was balls deep inside him, and all Cas could do was nod and reach out to grasp Dean’s hips as they began to rock against him.

Cas watched Dean, drinking in every curve and dip of his body, every flex and roll of muscle as he rode him. A flush stained his chest and stretched clear up to his adorably freckled cheeks. His cock was bobbing as he started to bounce faster on Cas’ lap, and it smacked against Cas’ tummy, smearing it with pre-cum. Dean bent and kissed him hard, and Cas melted into it, planting his feet on the mattress and pushing his hips up to meet Dean thrust for thrust.

“Oh fuck,” Dean moaned against his lips, his forehead falling to rest on Cas’ shoulder as he relinquished control. His breathing went rapid and shallow, hot, moist breaths ghosting over the sweat clinging to the hollow of Cas’ collarbone as his prostate was nailed over and over again by Cas’ thick cock. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he began to chant. 

Cas held onto Dean tightly, thrusting up into him as Dean began to babble unintelligibly against his throat. He felt Dean’s hole clenching rhythmically around him, and he sped his thrusts, pushing Dean closer and closer to the edge he was just barely clinging to. 

“Fuck, Cas… gonna…” Dean choked out before he was coming untouched, spilling between them and covering Cas’ torso in white. 

Cas slowed to an easy grind, working Dean through the rest of his orgasm and feeling Dean go limp against him. He rubbed his hands up and down Dean’s back and kissed him and he lifted his head to gaze at him with sleepy eyes. 

“Mmm,” Dean hummed, rolling off of Cas onto his back. “Come ‘ere.”

Cas rolled onto his side, accepting Dean’s kiss and reaching down to remove the condom so he could finish himself off. 

“No,” Dean said, swatting his hand away from the condom before he could remove it. “Come all the way here. Get back inside me.”

“That’s ok?” Cas asked, unsure. 

“More than ok. I want you to come inside me,” Dean said, and Cas rolled on top of him, hitching his legs up and sliding home again in one smooth thrust.

Dean kissed him and touched everywhere he could reach while Cas fucked him, pinching a nipple here, grabbing his ass to pull him in harder there. Castiel’s orgasm hit him suddenly, rushing forth and filling the condom as he thrust against Dean, choking on a startled moan. 

“Oh fuck,” he breathed out, rolling his hips lazily against Dean as he came down from his climax. He nuzzled Dean’s cheek and Dean turned his face up for a kiss, running his fingers through the sweaty hair plastered to Cas’ forehead to brush it away from his face. “That’s what I’ve been missing?” he said with a laugh before gently pulling out and flopping onto his back next to Dean.

Dean pushed himself up on one elbow to look down at him, hooking a leg over Castiel’s. “I take it your first time was ok?”

Cas laughed and pulled Dean against him, kissing him soundly. “I have nothing to compare it to, but I can assure you, it was better than ok.”

Dean smiled, then sat up, removing the condom from Cas’ spent cock and tying the end in a tight knot. “I’d say so,” he said holding the condom up so the light shone through it. “That’s quite the load, Cas.”

“Hardest I’ve ever cum in my life,” Cas agreed, taking the rubber from Dean and sliding off the bed to toss it away in the bathroom. He poked around in the linen closet, locating a washcloth and wetting it with warm water before wiping Dean’s release off his chest. After the cloth was rinsed, he retuned to where Dean was reclining on the bed and wiped him clean as well. 

After, it didn’t take long for them to settle in under the covers and fall asleep in a tangle of limbs, Dean’s head on Cas’ chest in the room they officially shared.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Dean was drawn to the kitchen, the promise of bacon heavy in the air, then instantly regretted it when his brother greeted him with a knowing smirk. 

“So this thing with Castiel is getting pretty serious, huh?” Sam asked, as he scrambled massive quantities of eggs for breakfast. 

“What? I like him. Is that a crime?” Dean snatched a couple strips of crispy bacon, shoving them into his mouth in one go and chewing to avoid having to _talk about his feelings._

“Not at all,” Sam answered, taking a stack of plates out of the cabinet and handing them off to Dean in a silent request that he go set the table for the guests. “I’ve just never seen you like this with a guy. Have you ever even dated one?”

“You know I haven’t,” Dean said. “My first experience wasn’t great, and I’ve never met a man who was worth the trouble. Most men seem to want me for one thing. They never see me as relationship material.”

“Guess you were looking in the wrong place. Grindr and gay bars aren’t exactly known for finding 'relationship material,'” Sam said. He’d started dumping food into warming trays, and they walked out to the dining room to set up the little breakfast buffet together. “For the record, I like Castiel for you. He seems nice. Quiet, but nice.”

“Yeah,” Dean said, a dreamy smile gracing his lips. “He is nice. Smart too. Talented. He picked up stained glass work in no time. He started out with my patterns, but he’s started designing his own stuff now, and he’s good. Really good.”

“What happens when he goes back to school?” Sam asked as he followed Dean around the table, flanking the plates Dean had set down with silverware and napkins. 

“We’re going to try, see if we can make long distance work. He only has a year left, and Philly isn't so far,” Dean sighed, pained by the thought of only seeing Cas on the weekends one of them could get to the other. It would be a massive adjustment from seeing each other every day. Who knew what kind of workloads either of them would have? What if they couldn’t make the time? How long would they be able to make it before everything just fell apart? What if Cas met someone else?

Sam clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look. “Hey, if it’s meant to be, it’ll be. A year is nothing. And it’s not really a year, more like ten months.”

Dean smiled weakly back at his brother, trying to take solace in his reassurance. “Yeah, thanks man. Gotta get out there and get to work.”

“When can I see the window?” Sam asked.

“When it’s done. You know the rules,” Dean made two plates, then climbed two flights of stairs to drop one covered dish on the nightstand next to a still sleeping Cas before heading out to the garage.

.  
.  
.

Castiel was working on a larger piece, scoring glass that would create the intricate wings of butterflies and petals of flowers. With careful hands, he snapped the glass across the score lines, mentally cheering for every clean break he achieved. He laid out the design as each piece was cut, then ground the edges, cleaning them up and perfecting each curve and line. 

“Looking good,” Dean said, coming up behind Cas, wrapping his arms around him and resting his chin on his shoulder to see what he was working on. “That’ll be stunning when it’s finished. You sure you’ve never done this before you got here?”

“You asked me the same thing last night,” Cas said, turning to kiss Dean with a smile.

“Guess you’re just a quick study. Lucky me.” Dean said, holding Cas tighter when he leaned back against him. 

“Wonder what else you could teach me,” Cas said suggestively, turning to face Dean and wrapping his arms around his middle. 

“You got something in mind, Angel?” Dean asked, with and arch of the eyebrow.

“Maybe,” Cas said bashfully, a slight blush creeping across his cheeks as he averted his eyes.

“Yeah? Well, now’s not the time to get shy on me. I had my tongue in your ass not twelve hours ago.”

“Shut up,” Cas playfully pushed Dean away, but Dean just grabbed onto him and pulled him close again and waited for him to speak. “Ok, fine… it seemed like you really enjoyed it when I was… inside you. I just thought, maybe…” he shrugged and Dean chuckled, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“You want to bottom, Cas?” Dean asked.

“I want to try it. I liked your fingers inside me, and you were very vocal about your own enjoyment when I… Well, I wonder what it’s like, that's all.” He shrugged, playing at nonchalant.

“Cas, Babe, I’m totally versatile. Top? Bottom? It’s all good. You want to bottom, I’ll top. You want to top, I’ll bottom. You wanna switch it up right in the heat of the moment? We can do that too. I’m easy, Angel,” Dean said, the look on his face positively predatory. “Anything else?”

Cas sighed and shook his head, but his face gave away his inner turmoil.

“Cas,” Dean prompted, going on when Cas stayed silent. “What is it? I’ll give you whatever you want as long it’s something that’s in my power to give.” He nudged Cas playfully and pulled him close again.

Cas looked at him tentatively. “I’ve never been on a real date,” he said simply. “I know we’ve gone for walks and we had the beach day, but other than that, I’ve been stuck here or within a few block radius for weeks. All we do is work, and I want to go out.”

Dean laughed. “Fuck, Cas. That’s easy. You had me worried you were going to ask for something freaky. I thought I was going to be spending the weekend building you a sex dungeon or something.”

“You’d do that? For me?” Cas asked sarcastically, his eyes dancing with mirth. 

“Honestly? Yeah, I probably would. I find myself wanting to keep you happy, and if padding the walls, strapping on a leather harness and buying you some paddles and restraints is what keeps that smile on your face, I’ll be your whipping boy,” Dean smirked at Cas, and Cas gave his ass a little smack that Dean barely felt through the thick denim wrapped around him.

“Good to know. Something to think about in the future,” Cas joked.

“Lucky for me, you just want to go on a date,” Dean said with a shrug. “That, I can definitely do. I’ll take you to dinner tonight, and you’ll finally meet my Baby.” Dean gestured towards the car that sat in the driveway, heavy protective cover hiding it from the elements and corrosive salt air. 

Cas had to admit, he’d had a passing curiosity about the car, but Dean hadn't had it out the entire time he'd been there. Sam was on grocery duty and Dean was all but married to his church window, and it was a wonder Dean wasn’t feeling as cooped up as Cas had been.

“Can’t wait,” Cas said with total honesty. “Now go away. You're distracting. I want to get the rest of this glass cut today, then I need to get ready. I have a hot date tonight.”

.  
.  
.

“I don’t know what to wear,” Dean grumbled, leaning against the counter.

Sam stirred a pot of lasagna noodles, then set to mixing the blend of cheeses that would soon be layered with meat sauce and the cooked pasta. “It’s not enough that I’m staying through the dinner shift tonight so you can take your boy toy out, now I have to dress you too?”

“First off, he’s not a boy toy,” Dean snapped.

“I know. Sorry.”

“And second off, I haven’t been on a date in forever, and it’s his first. I want it to be special for him,” Dean said, his anxiety ramping up more and more as he talked it through. 

Sam removed the pot from the stove, dumping the contents into the colander so the water could drain away. He got out a couple deep baking dishes and started ladling meat sauce in the bottoms so he could start building the layers. “Ok, so here’s what you do. Go upstairs and go into the furthest reaches of your closet where your least worn articles of clothing are and pick something from there. All you wear are tee shirts, ten year old jeans and flannels, so all your nice stuff is buried. Now go be an adult and get your ass dressed.”

“Very helpful,” Dean mumbled before walking away. Sam was right though, he did own nice clothes, he just never pulled them out for anything. 

Cas was in his shower when Dean got up to his bedroom, and he dug through the closet while he waited for him to finish. In the end, he settled on a pair of dark wash, slim cut jeans he never wore because he liked to work in looser pants, and a burgundy button up that he layered over a black tee, then rolled up to his elbows. It was casual, but put together, and it would do just fine for casual dinner date. 

The door to the bathroom opened as Dean was lacing up his black boots, and Cas emerged, hips wrapped in a towel and wet hair gloriously askew on his head. “Oh,” he said in surprise, hands going down to grip the towel as if Dean’s very presence would make it fall free from his hips.

“Sorry, guess I should have announced myself,” Dean said with a grin.

“Nonsense, it’s your room,” Cas said, waving him off and walking over to the suitcase laying at the foot of Dean’s bed. He’d packed his clothes and moved them up to Dean’s room, but hadn’t had a chance to ask where he should put them away, since Dean had stayed locked in his back room, working on that window all afternoon. He dug through the suitcase, selecting a pair of black jeans and a blue button up, laying them out on the bed. 

“It’s our room now,” Dean said, coming up behind Cas and dropping a series of soft kisses across his shoulder. 

“Mmm,” Cas hummed, his head tipping back against Dean’s shoulder as the kisses moved to the spot behind his ear that Dean recently discovered drove him wild. “You need to stop, or we’ll never get out of here.”

Dean sighed, thinking that it would be nice to simply fall into bed and go out some other time, but he owed this to Cas. Taking him on a date was the least he could do, really. “I’ll go wait downstairs for you to get dressed, because if that towel hits the floor and I’m standing here, all bets are off.”

“Good thinking. Give me ten minutes.”

.  
.  
.

“Oh, she’s gorgeous!” Cas said after Dean made a show of taking the cover off his ’67 Impala. He ran a hand appreciatively over her glossy, black hood, feeling Dean’s gaze on him, and predictably, when their eyes met over the roof, Dean had a huge smile on his face.

“Yeah? You like her?” Dean asked, as he walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Cas like any proper gentleman would do on a date. “My dad gave her to me as a graduation gift because he knew I lusted after her all my life. She’s all I really have left of him, so I sink a lot of time and money into her. I tend to bicycle around town in the summer, but this is a special occasion, so get in.”

Cas slid onto the leather-upholstered bench seat and Dean swung the door shut with a loud squeak of the hinges. Though a much nicer car than his own, its groans and squeaks reminded him of his old Continental. “We’re just a couple of young men in cars decades older than ourselves. Maybe we were meant to be,” he said with a chuckle once Dean joined him in the car.

“Yeah, but at least mine doesn’t look like a pimpmobile.”

“Shut up,” Cas said.

“It’s _gold,_ Cas,” Dean argued.

“I like it,” Cas pouted. 

“Then that’s all that matters, Angel,” Dean said, patting Cas on the thigh and turning the key so the Impala could rumble to life.

A half hour later, they were settled into a table overlooking the ocean, an open bottle of chardonnay on the table as they sipped the wine from fancy glasses. 

“So, are you ever going to tell me about the window?” Cas asked as he buttered one of the hot rolls the waiter had dropped on the table. 

“You know I’m secretive about works in progress,” Dean said around a mouthful of bread.

Cas smiled softly at his boyfriend’s lack of table manners and cursed himself silently for finding it endearing. “I know, but it’s a church window, so at the very least, I already know it’s religious in nature,” Cas said. “We could play twenty questions to narrow it down.”

Dean shook his head. “Nope. No clues until it’s finished. I will say it’s coming along even better than expected, and I’m excited to show it to you, specifically.”

“Me? Why?” Cas asked, his head tilting adorably in that way it always seemed to do when he was particularly curious about something.

Dean smirked, feeling his cheeks redden and heat up with a blush. “You’ll see Cas.”

“Hmm. Maybe I need a secret project too.” Cas shrugged and bit into the bread, the melted honey butter exploding over his tongue deliciously. 

“Oh yeah? Well, have at it, Angel. The shop is at your disposal,” he said with a shrug as if he wasn’t dying to know what Cas had in mind. 

Their meals came and they ate, stealing bites from each other’s plates and chit chatting about anything and everything. Castiel talked about school and all the different classes he took. He spoke about his love of the pottery wheel and his distaste for oil paints, and how he was discouraged by his lack of enthusiasm for doing any one thing for the rest of his life. 

“How do you feel about stained glass?” Dean asked, honestly curious to know how Cas was enjoying his apprenticeship.

Cas chewed a bite of coconut shrimp, a thoughtful look crossing his beautiful features. “I actually like it a lot,” he said thoughtfully. “I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but I actually think I enjoy it more than anything I’ve done in school. Huh. Wouldn’t that be something? Three years of art school and I end up wanting to do something I learned on summer break,” he laughed, reaching across the table to steal a fried scallop from Dean's plate and putting it in his mouth.

Dean’s face split in a wide grin. “Yeah, Cas, that would be something. We could work together, you know. Just like we are now. If you finish school and think this is something you want to come back to, anyway.”

Cas smiled at Dean across the table. The urge to gather the man up in his arms and kiss him was so strong, he could barely contain it. “I’ll always want to come back to you, regardless,” he finally said, meaning every word. “If it wouldn’t piss my dad off so much, I’d consider dropping out right now.”

Dean’s eyes glittered as he looked back at him. “Well, some of us never went to art school and we’re doing just fine,” he said. “I’m completely self taught, and now look at me, making a boatload of money on a single project.”

“So, did you go to college at all?” Castiel asked, not in a judgmental way, simply interested in finding out where this perfect man had come from.

Dean snorted, shaking his head. “Barely finished high school,” he said. “It’s not that I couldn’t do better, I just didn't like school. It felt confining, and most of what they taught felt pointless. Ask me how many times I’ve used algebra since graduation.”

Castiel laughed. “I understand completely. High school is particularly hard on creative types. People who write, or paint, or act. We know what we want out of life, and dissecting a frog isn’t going to get us a gallery exhibit.”

“Exactly!” Dean said, a little too loud, then laughing and apologizing when an older couple glared at him from their nearby table. He dropped his voice before continuing. “Exactly. That’s why I hated school, and why I never went for higher education. Sammy though, he always knew he wanted to get a degree. He used to want to be a lawyer, but after mom and dad… well, his main concern was investing the money we received, so he did the business thing. He’s happy enough, I think. Maybe one day he’ll go to law school. He’s still young, and the inn is doing well enough. I think he sticks around because he feels like he needs to pay me back for raising him through his teen years or something.” He trailed off with a shrug, resolving to himself to bring it up to his brother again someday soon.

They ended up splitting dessert, even though Dean pouted for a solid minute when he noticed there was no pie on the menu.

“You still have pie at home from last night, and there’s a peach cobbler right there,” Cas said, tapping his finger on the dessert menu for emphasis. “That’s basically deconstructed pie. And it comes with ice cream.”

“Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night,” Dean grumbled, before pointing at the brownie sundae and raising his eyebrows in question. Cas agreed, and a few minutes later, they were digging into a gooey mess of hot fudge, melty ice cream and warm brownie.

After an argument over who was paying the bill, Dean winning because “It’s your first date Cas, you’re not paying,” they went for a walk on the beach. The night was a bit on the cooler side. The past few days’ humidity had finally lifted, leaving behind a pleasant breeze that drifted off the ocean, ruffling their hair. 

Dean grabbed Castiel’s hand and tugged him toward one of the lifeguard chairs where it sat many yards away from the water’s edge where the lifeguards had dragged it for the night. They climbed over six feet in the air and sat on the wooden bench seat, dropping their heads back to look up at the stars. It was a clear night and they stretched out, twinkling, as far as eye could see. 

“I really have missed the shore,” Cas said with a sigh. “When I was a kid, I used to sneak out at night, just to do this very thing. I loved how sitting up here could make me feel like I had a bird’s eye view of the world. I’d spend hours at the beach, all by myself, just watching the waves and stargazing.”

“No brothers or sisters?” Dean asked.

“None living. There was one other pregnancy before me, but my brother was stillborn. For some reason, they named him James, and gave me an angel’s name. Seems a little bit backwards, but here we are,” Cas answered. “I wish I’d had my big brother growing up. I see the way you are with Sam, and sometimes I get a bit jealous. He’s lucky to have you.”

Dean reached over, taking Castiel’s hand in his own, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. “And I'm a little jealous that you still have your parents. It's human nature to grieve what could have been, I think." He paused, thumb rubbing circles on the back of Castiel's hand. "Speaking of angels... My mom used to put us to bed at night, sing us ‘Hey Jude,’ then tell us angels were watching over us. And now here you are. Maybe you were named for an angel because you were always supposed to end up here,” he chuckled and squeezed Cas’ hand again.

“Sap,” Cas accused with a grin. “You don’t need watching over, Dean Winchester. You’re doing just fine, but I’m more than happy to do it anyway.” Castiel leaned in, pressing a kiss to Dean’s cheek, then accepting Dean’s lips against his own when Dean turned to face him.

“You have no idea how much your presence has helped me this summer, Cas. But you will… soon enough,” He kissed Cas again to distract from his words, tongue darting out to trace the seam of Cas’ lips until Cas pushed back and looked at him, mischief twinkling in his eyes.

“Bold of you to assume I kiss on the first date,” Cas teased.

Dean threw his head back with laughter, tugging Cas closer and kissing him again. “You had your dick in my ass last night, Angel, I think all first date rules are officially off the table.” He pressed his lips to Castiel’s again, and Cas opened for him instantly. 

Cas deepened the kiss, moaning into Dean’s mouth and pressing against him before swinging a leg over Dean’s lap and straddling him six feet off the ground. Strong arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly so he wouldn’t fall backward, and Dean kissed him back with fervor. Cas’ hands buried themselves in Dean’s hair as they made out, soft noises of pleasure erupting between them before being swallowed down in more kisses. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean gasped as they broke apart, panting and getting hard in their pants. “We really need to get home.”

Cas shook his head and captured Dean’s lips again, then moved lower, sucking and licking along the column of Dean’s throat as Dean’s head tipped back to grant him access. He snaked one hand down between their bodies, palming Dean’s cock through tight fitting jeans that were only getting tighter with Cas rubbing up against him.

“Cas,” Dean choked out, half in protest, half to beg him not to stop, and Cas shifted off his lap, climbing half way down the ladder so he could stand between Dean’s parted knees. Dean laughed when Cas started working the button on his jeans with one hand, clinging to the seat of the chair with the other. Dean held onto his shoulder to keep him from losing his balance and Cas succeeded in getting Dean’s dick out and swallowing it down while Dean threw his head back and moaned quietly. 

There was a certain thrill about doing something so filthy in a public place. At any point, someone could come down to the beach to take a walk, and Cas was currently blowing him like his life depended on it. 

“Fucking hell, Cas, your mouth,” Dean said before Cas took him deep into his throat and words escaped him, dissolving into pleading little whimpers. He almost blew his load when Cas pulled off and flicked his tongue rapidly over the little bundle of nerves tucked right beneath the head of his cock, but then Cas was pulling away and jacking him off slowly instead. He looked up at Dean with such a heated look, Dean was sure he was about to melt right into a puddle that would be washed off to sea on the high tide.

“I want you to come in my mouth,” Cas said, his voice pitched low and growly enough that Dean groaned from his words alone. Then he was on Dean again, sucking hard enough for his cheek to hollow, and leaving Dean a moaning, begging mess. Minutes later, thighs quivering, Dean granted that wish, coming hard in Cas’ mouth as Cas swallowed him down greedily, not a drop spilled.

He sat there panting and twitching from overstimulation as Cas licked him clean and tucked him gently back into his pants. Then Cas climbed up and settled back in next to Dean, tipping his head back and looking up at the stars as if he hadn’t just given Dean one of the most mind-blowing orgasms of his life. 

When Dean recovered, he slid a hand up Cas’ thigh, intent on moving further still and repaying the favor, but Cas just caught his hand in his own, holding it and shaking his head. “Later,” he said. “That was just for you.”

Dean huffed a little laugh. “Hey Cas?”

Cas turned to him, head tilting in that cute way of his. “Hmm?”

“You’re awesome.”


	7. Chapter 7

Dean nudged Sam awake where he’d fallen asleep on a sofa that was far too small to contain his tall frame comfortably, then shooed him out the door. He’d tried to tell Sam that he could leave after the guests were fed and tucked in their rooms, for the night, but Sam always insisted that one of them be on the premises just in case a guest needs something or an emergency comes up. Needless to say, Dean felt that he owed his brother one for spending so many extra hours at the inn so he could take Cas out.

Once Sam was on his way home to Jess, Dean found Cas in the kitchen, digging through the fridge. “Didn’t I feed you enough at dinner?” he asked, slapping Cas’ ass where it was bent over, sticking out of the fridge.

“I was just looking for some wine or something,” Cas said, coming up with a couple hard ciders he found in the back of the fridge instead. “I guess these will have to do.” He set one of them on the counter, opening the one in his hand and passing it to Dean before opening his own. Dean watched Cas take a few swallows, draining half the bottle in one go and licking the sweet, tart apple flavor from his lips. “You know Cas, if you have to get drunk to do it, maybe you’re not ready tonight,” Dean said.

“I’m not getting drunk, Dean. I’m having one drink to calm my nerves.”

Dean stepped closer, pulling the bottle from Cas’ grasp and setting it on the counter, before hoisting Cas up and sitting him on the counter next to it. He stepped between Cas’ knees and slid his hands over his thighs soothingly. “Tell me what you’re nervous about.”

Cas averted his eyes, glancing at the half drunk bottle of cider longingly. “Will it hurt? I’ve never used anything bigger than a couple fingers.”

“I’d never intentionally hurt you,” Dean said firmly, tipping Cas’ chin up with a single finger and kissing him. “But there’s a chance it’ll hurt a little, at least at first. I promise, I’ll do everything in my power to make it good for you. You just have to trust me. If you don’t trust me, you won’t be able to relax, and if you can’t relax, you’ll never be able to take a dick without it hurting like a bitch.”

“Sounds like you know from experience,” Cas said.

“I told you my first time with a guy wasn’t great. I didn’t trust him, and he didn’t care enough to make sure I was ready to take him,” Dean shrugged. “I probably should have tapped out, but I got it into my head it was time to pop my gay cherry, so I gritted my teeth and rode it out. I figured it would get better, but it never did. Luckily, it didn’t take the guy long to get off, and I learned through solo play, and now with you, that it can be really good.” 

“Well, I do trust you,” Cas said, kissing Dean softly before breaking away again. “Wait, you said that was the only guy you’d ever… so you haven’t topped before?”

“Cas, trust me, I’ve spent enough time with my own ass to know what I’m doing,” Dean said, rubbing Cas’ arms to calm him.

“It’s not that,” Cas grinned. “I just didn’t expect I'd be lucky enough to be one of your firsts.”

“Huh,” Dean said with a laugh. “Didn’t even think of it that way. Well, I’m glad it’s you, Angel. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Cas pulled him in for another kiss, hands tightening on Dean’s waist as he leaned into it, deepening it. “Can we take a shower or something first?” Cas asked when the kiss finally broke a minute or two later. 

“Anything you need, Babe.”

.  
.  
.

Castiel’s hands were pressed the to glass wall of the shower, his tight, tanned body stretched out gloriously and his back arched under Dean’s soapy hands as they moved over his wet skin. Dean massaged him from shoulders to ass, and Cas all but purred under the attention and hot water. He could feel his muscles loosening as he relaxed under Dean’s skilled touch, little hums and whimpers falling from his lips as Dean knelt and shifted his focus to soaping up his thighs and calves. Dean lifted one foot, then the other, cleaning them and rubbing the arches with his thumbs. Water sluiced down Castiel’s body, taking the soap with it and he felt Dean palm his ass with both hands, squeezing the firm globes and leaning in to suck a mark on one ass cheek possessively. 

“Marking me up again?” Cas said over his shoulder.

“Want everyone to know who this ass belongs to, Angel,” Dean said, nipping at the little bruise sharply and reveling in Cas’ choked off little gasp. 

“I don’t remember having the exclusivity talk,” Cas joked as Dean’s tongue found it’s way between his cheeks, flicking over his hole. “Mmm, fuck. Do that again.”

Dean pulled away, spreading Cas wide and watching his hole clench at nothing. “Only if you say that you're mine.”

“You want me to be your boyfriend?” Cas sing-songed, teasingly, wiggling his ass as if he could entice Dean to eat him out without giving him what he wanted first.

Dean swatted his ass, the wet skin on skin slap sounding much worse than the actual sting that accompanied it. “Yes,” he said, voice pitched low and possessive.

“If that’s what it takes to get your tongue back in my ass, then fine. I suppose I’ll be your boyfriend. I’ll all yours, now for fuck’s sake, get on with it before we run out of hot water.”

“Bossy,” Dean teased.

“Goes well with possessive,” Cas said, pressing his ass back against Dean’s face, moaning when he felt Dean’s strong hands spread him wide and his warm, wet tongue circling his hole then pressing in, ever so slightly.

“Mine,” Dean growled, spearing Cas with his tongue.

“Fuck, yes, yours,” Cas gasped, fingertips scrambling at the slippery shower wall as they searched out something to hold on to. Dean’s tongue was turning Cas to jelly, his thighs shaking from intense pleasure. The pad of a thumb pressed against his rim, Dean’s tongue still lapping around it as it started to push inside, spit easing the way.

“Good?” Dean asked when his thumb could go no further, crooking it to rub against Castiel’s prostate after a whispered ‘yes.’ The pad of his thumb was making quick work of turning Cas into a whimpering mess, and Dean pressed the knuckles of his middle and forefinger into Cas’ perineum, rubbing back and forth in time with his thumb to stimulate his prostate from two directions.

“Oh, god,” Cas moaned, fighting the urge to push his hips back against Dean’s hand. Dean’s free hand snaked around his hip, seeking out his cock and wrapping around it, and suddenly, Cas was overwhelmed with sensation, his knees giving out for a second before he caught himself, palms slapping against the shower wall in frustration.

“That good, huh?” Dean teased, slipping his thumb free from Castiel’s body and pushing himself to his feet. He grasped Cas’ hips, spinning him in place and pulling him in for a kiss that Cas just melted right into, wrapping his arms around Dean as if he’d just slide right to the floor in a puddle otherwise. “Let’s get you horizontal, Angel. What do you say?”

Cas just nodded and slipped out of the shower, wrapping himself up in a fluffy white towel while Dean soaped up and rinsed off quickly, then shut off the water. He held out a towel to his dripping wet boyfriend and watched as Dean quickly rubbed himself dry. Dean threw his towel on a hook to air dry then yanked the towel off Cas’ hips, using it to dry him off lovingly. He leaned in and kissed Cas’ nose sweetly before hanging the towel next to his own and tugging Cas into the bedroom by his hand.

When they reached the bed, Cas crawled onto it on all fours, giving Dean a fantastic view of that round ass, before rolling onto his back and stretching out like a contented cat. 

“Comfy?” Dean asked as he climbed onto the bed and hovered over Cas, asking silently for a kiss that he was promptly granted.

“Mmm, very,” Cas answered when their kiss broke, wiggling into the memory foam, half-hard cock bouncing with his movements as Dean watched. 

Dean ran a hand over Castiel, fingers dipping into the grooves of his hipbones and over his taut tummy, making the muscles jump from being tickled. “God, Cas, you’re so beautiful.” Cas just blushed and brought an arm up to cover his face as if he was trying to hide from Dean’s compliment, but Dean just reached up and pulled his arm away. He kissed Cas as his hand trailed lower, fingertips dragging over Cas’ hardening cock as Cas made breathy little sounds into his mouth. “You are, Angel. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever had in my bed,” he insisted with conviction, looking directly into Cas’ eyes.

He rolled on top of Cas, trailing kisses down his body until he reached his cock, then he took it in his mouth, sucking lightly. Cas’ legs parted, and Dean reached between them, pressing the pads of two fingers against his hole. Cas moved beneath him, and a second later he heard the drawer of the nightstand open and the sound of Cas rummaging through it blindly. A second later, a bottle of lube was being tapped against his temple.

“In a hurry?” Dean asked cheekily after pulling off of Castiel’s dick with a loud, sucking pop and taking the bottle.

“I want you,” Cas said, spreading his legs wider as Dean moved to his knees between them. 

“Patience, Angel,” Dean said as he rubbed lube between his fingers to warm it. “This will be a little different than the first time I fingered you. I have to get you stretched out and relaxed this time. You ready?”

Cas nodded, drawing his legs up to grant Dean better access, eyes closing as a finger slipped inside him easily. 

“Good, that’s really good, Cas,” Dean praised, rubbing an open palm up and down Castiel’s flank soothingly. He pulled back and pushed inside with two fingers, dipping his head down to lick around them, then up to Castiel’s cock so he could swallow it down and distract Cas from the stretch of his fingers spreading apart inside him. He brushed over Cas’ prostate here and there, the little sounds of pleasure encouraging him to go on. He slipped a third finger inside and was met with the slightest of resistance, as Cas’ hips jerked back a little as he gasped. “You ok?” Dean asked, his fingers stilling inside him.

Cas nodded. “Yeah. It’s nice. Just hurt for a second, but I’m ok.”

“Tell me if you need me to slow down, or stop,” Dean said, kissing the crease between Cas’ thigh and groin. Once Cas whispered an ‘ok,’ Dean opened the lube, drizzling a bit more over his fingers so they could glide into Cas easier. 

“Dean, please,” Cas said a few minutes later. Dean had worked him open with such care and attention, and Cas was so turned on he was panting and his cock was leaking onto his belly. “I’m ready.”

Dean twisted his wrist, spreading his fingers and feeling Cas give around him easily. He withdrew his hand, wiping it on the duvet and mentally putting ‘wash bedding’ on his to do list. “It’ll be easier if you roll onto your stomach,” Dean suggested, but Cas shook his head.

“I’ll just tense up if I can’t see you,” he argued. “Can we do it like this?”

“Yeah, ok, Cas. Whatever you want,” Dean said, leaning in to kiss Cas before reaching over to grab a condom out of the drawer. He ripped open the packet and tossed it aside before rolling the condom over his hard cock and giving it a few strokes. “Tomorrow, I’m making an appointment to get tested,” he grumbled, scowling down at his latex-wrapped erection. 

He moved back between Cas’ legs, and Cas hiked them up and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to calm his nerves. 

“Ready?” Dean asked, rubbing the head of his cock over Cas’ rim.

“Yes. Go slow?”

“Of course, Babe. I got you. Speak up if you want to stop,” he waited for Cas’ answering nod, then he was pushing inside. The first attempt didn’t go well. Cas tensed up at the first push, and Dean pulled back, running a hand over Cas’ thigh and leaning in to kiss him. He rubbed more lube over his length and used the excess to rub circles over Cas’ rim, pushing in with a couple fingers until Cas relaxed again. The second time he tried to push in, Cas opened up to him, and he slipped in slowly, stopping for both of them to take a few breaths once the head was in. 

Cas’s hands settled on Dean’s hips, gripping him and breathing through the initial discomfort. Dean leaned down and they kissed deeply, and Cas melted right into it, distracted enough for Dean to inch slowly inside him. Once he bottomed out, he broke the kiss, searching Castiel’s eyes for any signs of pain. 

“You ok?” he asked and Cas nodded.

“I’m good, it’s… different. I feel full, but it doesn’t really hurt. I think you should move,” Cas said thoughtfully. 

Dean withdrew an inch or so and pushed back in with a little groan. “God, Cas, you’re really fucking tight.” Cas clenched around him in response and Dean bit back a gasp of pleasure. “Fuck!”

“Come on, Dean, move,” Cas all but whined, fingers tightening his hold on Dean’s hips desperately. “Come on, I can take it.”

“Jesus Christ, Cas,” Dean grumbled, then pulled almost all the way out before snapping his hips and burying himself again.

“Yessss,” Cas hissed, head tipping back and eyes closed tight. 

Dean took that as a sign to really get the show on the road and built a steady, slow rhythm, punching satisfied moans out of Cas every time his balls slapped Cas’ ass. After a couple minutes of slow fucking, he tilted his hips and picked up speed, his cock dragging across Cas’ prostate, Cas’ moans pitching higher and more desperate.

“Oh God, right there. So good… so fucking good,” Cas praised, wrapping his legs around Dean’s hips and pulling him down harder into every thrust. “Touch me, Dean, please. So close. I’m so close.”

Dean snaked a hand between them, wrapping a hand around Cas’ cock and stroking him in time with his thrusts. He watched Cas’ face, flushed and sweaty, lips parted, little pants passing between them as he neared his climax. “So fucking beautiful,” he whispered, snapping his hips harder. 

“I’m coming,” Cas warned, then his eyes scrunched shut highly and his mouth dropped open as his orgasm washed over him. He came hard, his release forceful enough to hit his chin and cover Dean’s hand and the majority of both of their torsos.

Dean slowed his thrusts, working Cas through it until he let out a shaky exhale and a short giggle, then Dean pulled out and discarded the condom. He stroked himself over Cas’ stomach while Cas watched, rapt, then Dean came with shaking thighs, adding to the mess on Castiel’s belly. 

He stroked himself through it, then leaned down, licking up a bit of their combined seed and swallowing it down. Cas reached up for him and he went easily, letting Cas pull him into a kiss to he could taste them on Dean’s tongue. 

“Thank you, Dean,” Cas said sweetly, kissing Dean on the tip of the nose before gently pushing him away.

Dean huffed out a laugh and rolled onto his back. “You’re welcome, I guess,” he replied. “Was it ok? Are you sore or anything?”

“I’m sticky,” Cas complained lightly, and Dean rolled out of bed to get a cloth to clean them up. “It was really good, Dean. Only hurt for a second,” Cas finally answered when Dean came back with a warm washcloth and started mopping up their mess. “You took good care of me.”

“Good. I’m glad,” Dean said as he tossed the cloth over the side of the bed and propped himself up on one elbow to look down at Cas. “Something you might be interested in doing again?”

“Hmm, perhaps,” Cas said thoughtfully. “I think I enjoyed topping better, but that was good too.”

Dean laid back on the bed, pulling Cas to him for a post coital cuddle. “Never have to do anything you don't want to, Cas.” His voice was going a bit slurred with sleepiness as he continued. “Give y’anything Cas. W’ever y’want.”

Cas snuggled in close and laid his head on Dean’s chest. “Go to sleep, Dean.”

“G’night, Angel,” Dean mumbled into Cas’ hair before kissing his head. “Love you.”

It was barely audible, but Cas heard it clear as day, still dwelling on it as Dean fell off into slumber, soft snuffling snores rumbling in his chest. “I love you too,” he whispered into the darkness, hoping Dean had meant it as much as he did.


	8. Chapter 8

For the next week, Castiel locked himself away in the garage during the evenings, much to Dean’s chagrin. Dean hated that Cas was working on a secret project and wouldn’t let him see it, but he supposed turnabout was fair play considering he refused to share the window until after it was finished _and_ installed.

The bigger problem though, was that Dean saw less of Cas. Every evening, he would lock up his back room and go into the inn to cook dinner for the guests, and Cas would shut the garage door behind him to work in private. When he was finally satisfied with whatever he was doing out there for the night, Cas would hide his project away, close up shop and wander into the kitchen microwaving whatever leftovers he could scrounge up. Then he’d make his way to Dean’s room, take a shower and slip under the covers next to Dean, promptly falling asleep.

Not that Dean only cared about sex, much the opposite, in fact. He could vaguely remember confessing his love to Cas as he was falling asleep a week earlier, and he could vividly remember not receiving an ‘I love you,’ in return. It shouldn’t bother him. He knew that. They hadn’t been together all that long and Cas was still so young. He had no right confessing something so serious so soon, no matter how much he'd meant it. But it had put Dean in a bit of a mood all week as he dwelled on it and got angrier with himself for slipping up. Those three little words were never something that came easy to him, but he still managed to spit them out at the absolute wrong moment. He’d said it to all of four people over the years, five if you counted Cas, and three of those people were family.

Dean laid there, alone in the dark for the seventh night in a row, stewing in his own feelings. It was after eleven, and he was still awake, staring at the ceiling and wondering were Cas was. He had half a mind to force his way into the garage and drag his boyfriend to bed himself. 

He was halfway out of bed when he heard the door at the bottom of the stairs open then click shut quietly, followed by soft footsteps creeping up the stairs. Dean sat up in bed, reaching over to turn on the bedside lamp, eyes falling on Cas’ surprised face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Cas said sweetly with a small smile, hugging a package to his chest. 

“Wasn’t asleep. I was waiting for you. Thought you were never coming home,” Dean said, an edge of attitude to his voice.

“Oh,” Cas said, mouth turning down in a slight frown. “Are you mad at me?”

Dean softened upon seeing Cas’ wide, sad eyes, sighing and scrubbing a hand over his face. “‘Course not. I just… missed you. I feel like you’ve been hiding from me all week or something. Look, what I said the other night, I know it’s too soon, but I feel what I feel. If you’re not ready to say it back, that’s ok, but please stop avoiding me.”

“You remember that?” Cas asked, a wide grin splitting his face when Dean nodded in answer. He made his way across the room, setting the package he was holding near the foot of the bed before climbing onto the mattress to sit next to Dean. He took Dean's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together before bringing it to his lips and ghosting a kiss across Dean's knuckles and making Dean's cheeks heat up and turn pink. “Ok one, I’m not avoiding you. And two, I thought you were just sleepy and saying things you didn't necessarily mean. I whispered it back to you once you were asleep and never brought it up again because I’m a coward.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked, a little smile ticking up at one corner of his mouth.

Cas beamed at him, then pulled him into a kiss. “I love you, Dean,” he said sincerely. 

“Love you too Angel,” Dean said before gesturing at the box at the end of the bed. “What’s that?”

Cas’ smile only grew as he pulled the box closer. “This is what I’ve been working on this week. I know that it’s probably in poor etiquette to make someone a gift with their own tools and materials, but I tried to use mostly stuff out of the scrap box.” He shrugged, then pushed the box towards Dean. 

Dean glanced sideways at Cas before opening the box and pulling out the sheets of tissue paper that were protecting the gift inside. Once the last piece was tossed haphazardly over the side of the bed, Dean gasped and looked at Cas in shock. “Cas, this is… wow.” He pulled the glass panel out of the box and held it up so the light from the lamp could shine through it, illuminating a perfect likeness of the Impala in the stained glass. The background looked like a sunburst radiating out from behind the car in tiny shards of rainbow colored glass that contrasted perfectly with the black of the car. 

“Do you like it?” Cas asked bashfully.

“‘Like’ is an understatement Cas,” Dean said in awe. “It’s the most perfect gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you.” He kissed Cas hard and returned his attention to the artwork, already mentally deciding which window he’d hang it in. A second later, he was giggling to himself. He’d started his ode to Castiel weeks earlier, but Cas beat him to the punch with his gift. 

“What?” Cas asked, head tilting and brows drawn together in confusion. 

“You’ll see in a few weeks,” Dean said, happy when Cas seemed to accept that without question. He stood and walked the stained glass panel over to his desk, laying it down reverently and giving it once last glance before returning to Cas. He slid under the covers and waggled his eyebrows at Cas. “I’d like to thank you for such a nice gift,” he said suggestively.

“Oh yeah?” Cas teased. “What did you have in mind?”

Dean pulled his tee shirt over his head, tossing it over the side of the bed to join the crinkled pile of tissue paper. “You decide. My body is all yours.”

Cas’ eyes darkened with lust at the idea of being inside of Dean again. “On your hands and knees,” he said firmly, biting his lip as Dean did as he was told and arched his back in presentation.

Cas took him hard and fast that night, both of them making a mess of the sheets before falling into a deep slumber, wrapped up in each other.

.  
.  
.

“I want to take you on another date,” Dean announced one evening as they cleaned up after work. They had about three weeks before Castiel had to leave to return to school, and Dean could feel the time slipping away like sand in an hourglass. 

“Took you long enough,” Cas said with a laugh. “What did you have in mind?”

“Nothing fancy. You don’t even have to change. I’m gonna go bribe Sammy to stay and cook dinner. Meet you at the car in five?” Dean said.

Cas agreed, putting the last of his tools away and turning out all the lights. He got to the Impala before Dean, and took off her cover, folding it neatly and putting it in the garage before closing and locking the door behind him. When he turned around, Dean was there waiting for him, leaning against the hood of the car and looking like a god in the slowly fading sunlight. 

Cas strode up to him, pressing him against the car and kissing the breath right out of his lungs and Dean caught him, arms wrapping around him tightly. “Well, hello to you too,” Dean said with a chuckle when the heated kiss broke. Ever the gentleman, he opened the door for Cas, shutting it behind him before rounding the car and slipping behind the wheel. 

“So where are we off to so spontaneously?” Cas asked, fiddling with the radio until Dean swatted his hand away and pushed a cassette into the tape deck.

Once they were backed out of the driveway, Dean finally spoke, “Just gonna head up to the boardwalk. Grab some greasy food, ride some rides?”

Cas smiled wide. “Sounds perfect. I haven't been to the boardwalk in ages.”

By the time they drove up the Parkway and paid too much for parking, they’d decided they definitely needed soft serve ice cream by the end of the night, but dinner was still up for debate. Dean took Cas’ hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked the boards, chit chatting and people watching. They laughed at the children shielding their treats from ballsy, inconsiderate seagulls and stopped to play a couple games, Dean grumbling about them being fixed when they walked away empty handed each time. 

They bought slices of pizza and walked down to the beach, plopping down in the sand to eat, and kissing when they were finished, wrinkling their noses at the taste of garlic on each other’s tongues. Dean bought ride tickets and dragged Cas onto the Ferris Wheel, just so he could kiss him at the top, overlooking the Atlantic, garlic breath be damned. 

Later, as Cas held both of their ice cream cones, licking Dean’s here and there to keep it from dripping down his arm, Dean finally beat everyone at the water gun game. The smug look on his face, even though half the competition was under the age of twelve, made Cas laugh and shake his head while he congratulated his boyfriend. Dean took his ice cream back and handed Cas a huge, glittery, white unicorn with a rainbow mane and tail, a proud, satisfied smirk on his face that Cas leaned in and kissed it right off again. Castiel proceeded to hug the ridiculous plushie to his chest the rest of the night as they walked and rode a ride here and there. 

The date was juvenile and exhausting, but perfect in every way. As Dean drove back hours later, he kept stealing glances at Cas where he dozed, propped up against Baby’s door and using the unicorn plushie as a makeshift pillow. The breeze was flowing through the open windows ruffling his eternally messy hair, the light of the full moon shining down and illuminating his perfect face. Dean’s chest clenched at the thought of sending him off to school in a few weeks. He missed Cas already, preemptively mourning the months they would spend apart.

.  
.  
.

Castiel was working on the fourth and final side panel he needed to complete a pillar candle holder he’d started that morning. His plush unicorn was perched on the corner of the worktable, where it had been since Dean won it for him a week earlier, keeping a watchful eye. He soldered pieces of glass together carefully, fusing the small pieces colored glass into the shape of a heart shaped cockle shell nestled in sand. 

There was something relaxing about the art form that Castiel found himself increasingly drawn to. There was repetition to it, of course. Trace patterns, score glass, grind the edges and so on until after some soldering, you were finally left with a finished piece. But there was also artistry behind it that left each piece unique. The design options were endless, and Castiel found himself creating increasingly intricate pieces. If Dean was bothered by the fact that Cas was focusing more on quality than quantity lately, he never made it known. Instead, he looked over the pieces every night, praising Castiel for his new designs and grumbling about how Cas was going to put him out of a job if he got any better at the craft.

“Hey,” Dean said as he came up behind Cas and wrapped strong arms around him, breaking Cas’ concentration. “Looking good. You keep teaching yourself new things. Guess I haven’t been the best teacher this summer.”

“You taught me the basics. That’s all I needed,” Cas said with a shrug, and if that came off as cocky, so be it. Castiel was an artist, and all he needed was a nudge in the right direction so he could spread his wings and create. “You’ve been busy anyway. Can I see it yet?” He nodded toward the back room where Dean’s window was still carefully concealed.

Dean kissed behind Cas’ ear and Cas could feel Dean’s grin against his skin. “Soon. I think it’ll be done in a day or two, then it’ll be ready for installation. Hopefully there won’t be too many adjustments that need to be made, and they can get it in before you have to go. I want you to see it in all its glory with the sun shining through it.”

Cas nodded in understanding. Stained glass was nice enough, but stained glass with light shining through it was ethereal.“If not, I’ll see it one of the weekends I come down, if you’ll still have me,” he said, swiveling the stool so he could face his boyfriend, parting his knees so Dean could step between them.

“Oh, I’ll have you, alright,” Dean said lasciviously, biting his lip and wiggling his eyebrows for good measure. “Which is actually why I came out here.”

“You’re here for sex? It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Dean. We’re working,” Cas rolled his eyes in protest, but still leaned into the open mouthed kiss Dean pressed to his lips. 

“Mmm,” Dean hummed, pulling back and smirking at Cas. “Not that I couldn’t have you right this second if I wanted you, you little tart, but that’s not what I meant. I just got a call from the clinic. I’m squeaky clean, if you want to put that knowledge to use later.” 

Cas pulled Dean close, dipping in to suck and kiss along the length of Dean’s throat. “Maybe I’ll do that,” he teased, his breath ghosting along the moist skin he’d left behind and making Dean shudder in his arms. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean groaned, pulling away suddenly. “I’m getting back to work before I give in to the urge to let you bend me over right here and now.”

“Open garage door, be damned?” Cas asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Sometimes you want an audience,” Dean said with a laugh. “Ok, maybe not, but could be exciting, the chance of getting caught.”

“Broad daylight in a tourist town in the dead of summer. What could possibly go wrong?” Cas joked, swatting at Dean’s ass.

“Didn’t stop us from jerking each other off in the ocean,” Dean said, wiggling his eyebrows comically. 

“We were well concealed at the time. I don’t think anyone would be able to miss me fucking you until you squeal,” Cas’ voice was rumbling deep and dark and Dean’s eyes glazed over with lust. “Now get out of here, before I risk incarceration for public indecency.”

“Could be worth it. I promise to drop the soap at least once a day. I’ll be the best prison bitch a boy could ask for,” Dean said with a cocky grin before kissing the tip of Cas’ nose in farewell and pulling away for real this time.

Cas chuckled, shaking his head and watching Dean walk away, enjoying the sway of his round little ass until it disappeared through the door to the back room. He was really looking forward to getting Dean alone later that night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. I'm so late on this update because I was too lazy to give the chapter an edit. Forgive me?

Dean tapped out of work a couple hours early, kissing Cas on the temple on his way out the door. Cas looked at him quizzically, but shrugged it off, his head dipping back down so he could finish the piece he’d been working on. That was one of the things Dean loved so much about Cas. The man just seemed to trust Dean implicitly, even when he was sneaking around to plan a surprise for later. 

By the time 5 o’clock, their usual quitting time, rolled around, Dean was showered, dressed, and Cas’ surprise was nestled firmly in his ass. He laid back against the pillows, scrolling through social media on his phone until he heard Cas making his way up the stairs.

“Hey, Angel,” Dean said with a smile, his heart doing a little flip when Cas returned it with a grin of his own. “How’d it go down there?”

“I finished the piece I was working on,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the mattress, back to Dean. “Can you do me a massive favor and rub my shoulders? They’re sore from hunching over the table all day.”

The mattress dipped behind Cas as Dean got into place, kneeling behind him. “Anything for you, Babe. You’ve helped me out so much this summer. It’s the least I can do.”

Cas sighed happily as Dean’s strong hands began to massage his neck and shoulders, fingers digging into the muscle as Cas turned to putty in his hands. “Mmm,” Cas hummed in appreciation as Dean leaned in to kiss the back of his neck as he kneaded between his shoulder blades.

“You want this massage to come with a happy ending, or are you getting hungry?” Dean said, his lips brushing Cas’ ear. 

“A little of both,” Cas said with a soft huff of a laugh.

“How about we head down and make dinner, then we can get to the rest later. I threw out all the condoms,” he waggled his eyebrows at his Cas, leaving his boyfriend rolling his eyes. “I see how it is. Tired of my witty sense of humor already?”

“Never,” Cas said sarcastically, pulling Dean in for a kiss. “I do admit I’m intrigued with the no condom thing. Do you think the guests can just fend for themselves tonight?”

“Impatient,” Dean said, shoving Cas off himself and rolling off the bed. “Come on. I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”

Dinner was easy that night since the first thing Dean had done when he left work behind was pop a few chickens in the oven to roast. They were about a half hour from being done by the time he and Cas got down to the kitchen, so he turned on the pot of peeled potatoes that needed to be boiled and mashed, then got to work chopping up some fresh vegetables to steam. Cas busied himself fixing a huge bowl of salad, then settled in at the island with a beer to watch Dean finish cooking.

The sway of Dean’s hips as he hummed and mashed potatoes by hand was hypnotic, drawing Cas to him like a moth to a flame. Dean’s hand slowed as Cas pressed against his back and strong hands gripped his hips. 

“Cas,” he warned, shooting a playful scowl over his shoulder.

“It’s your own fault, standing over here looking like this,” Cas said before pressing his lips to Dean’s neck. “It’s inhumane to expect me to keep my hands to myself.”

Cas stepped even closer, his hips pressing against Dean’s ass, and before he could stop himself, Dean was bending just enough to push his ass into Cas’ crotch. He could feel that Cas was hard when Cas rolled his hips, nudging the plug nestled in his ass enough to punch his prostate. The potato masher fell from his grip and clattered to the floor, potatoes splattering the front of the oven and floor as Dean spun around and pulled Castiel into a messy kiss. 

Dean gasped as Cas manhandled him away from the hot stove, crowding him up against the wall instead. Castiel’s kiss was bruising as he gripped Dean’s wrists and pressed them into the wall over Dean’s head, his dominance making Dean go pliant beneath him. 

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean breathed out against Cas’ lips when the kiss broke, but Cas just ignored him, dropping to kiss along his pulse point as Dean tipped his head to the side to grant him access. 

“I want you,” Cas said, his voice rumbling along the shell of Dean’s ear as he rolled his hips against Dean’s, grinding their erections together. “Now.”

“Cas, I gotta get dinner on the table,” Dean said, leaning in to kiss Cas sweetly. “Five minutes, Angel, then I’m yours all night.”

Cas let out a little noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl and took a step back, hands trailing down Dean’s arms before letting go of him completely. “I’ll see you upstairs. Five minutes.”

Dean smirked to himself as Cas disappeared upstairs and finished throwing dinner together, carving up the chickens and putting the meat into trays along with the sides. He set up the buffet and lit the flames beneath the chafing dishes. He set the table and filled pitchers with iced tea and ice water and placed them on the buffet as well, leaving the guests to serve themselves. He glanced up at the clock and realized he'd taken closer to fifteen minutes putting the finishing touches on things, and took off up the first staircase, two stairs at a time.

“That was much longer than five minutes,” Cas’ voice drifted down the stairs as Dean opened the door below. “I couldn’t wait.”

Dean paused on the second stair and gazed towards the heavens for a second as he pulled up a mental image of what Cas could be doing on his bed at that exact second. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice betraying how affected he already was. “Get started without me, Angel?”

“Why don’t you come up here and see for yourself?” Cas teased, and Dean could hear the shifting of bedclothes as Cas moved on his bed. 

Dean cautiously scaled the stairs, then paused on the landing when he caught sight of Cas. “Fuck, Cas.”

Cas shot him a glance over his shoulder, his eyes dark and hooded and lips parted and wet. Dean’s arousal spiked as he let his eyes travel over the spectacle before him. Cas was in the middle of the bed on his knees, chest pressed into the mattress, ass in the air, naked as the day he was born, hole glistening with lube. A little moan escaped Cas as he reached behind himself and slipped one of Dean’s smaller dildos inside himself, and Dean was rooted to the spot, watching with wide eyes. 

“Are you planning on joining me, Dean, or are you just going to watch?” Cas asked, sinking the toy all the way inside himself with a breathy moan. 

Dean finally made his feet cooperate, and they carried him to the foot of the bed. If Cas looked hot pleasuring himself from across the room, he was nothing short of exquisite close up. His hair was an absolute wreck, his skin was flushed red and his cock was hard and heavy where it hung between his spread thighs.

“I was supposed to be the one surprising you tonight, Angel. Look at you,” Dean said, voice filled with awe. “God, you’re sexy, Cas.”

“Want you to fuck me, Dean. Want to feel you. Want you to come inside me and mark me. Make me yours,” Cas said, all the while, fucking himself on the dildo. 

“Fucking hell,” Dean cursed, reaching out to palm Castiel’s ass in both hands. He bent and left a sucking kiss on one cheek, snaking a hand between Cas’ legs and wrapping it around Cas' cock, stroking him slow in a loose fist. “Keep fucking yourself baby,” he urged, and Cas whimpered as his hips started to rock so he could thrust into the tunnel of Dean’s fist. “That’s it, Angel. Make yourself feel good.”

“Want you,” Cas gasped, his free hand gripping the bedclothes tightly. 

“You have me, Cas. I’m right here. Wanna watch you come. Come on, Baby. Come for me. We have all night,” Dean cooed, tightening his fist to give Cas a tighter channel to thrust into.

“Fuck me, Dean. Please,” Cas pleaded, fucking himself faster and harder with the toy.

“You’re doing just fine without me,” Dean said softly as Cas moaned and writhed, fucking Dean's fist with purpose now as he pushed himself closer to his climax. “That’s it, Angel. Look so good. So beautiful. Make yourself come, Baby.”

“Kiss me,” Cas breathed out, and Dean maneuvered himself to lay on his side while keeping a hand on Castiel’s cock. He pressed his lips to Cas’, kissing him deeply and within seconds Cas gasped into his mouth and covered Dean’s hand and bed in white. 

“You did so good, Cas. Looked so hot,” Dean praised, using his clean hand to brush damp hair off Cas’ forehead. Cas dropped the toy over the side of the bed and panting, collapsed onto the mess he'd left on the mattress. 

They kissed slow and deep for a moment before Cas broke the kiss and started laughing. “That didn’t go at all as planned,” he said when he curbed the giggles.

“Not even close to what I had in mind,” Dean said with a chuckle before covering Cas’ mouth with his own once more. “Like I said, we have all night.”

Cas pushed Dean onto his back, then pulled at the hem of his tee shirt, pulling it free when Dean lifted off the bed. His hands continued their work, moving to pop the button, and lower the zipper on Dean’s jeans, yanking them down his legs and tossing them over the side of the bed. “I still want you to fuck me,” Cas said before lowering his mouth to nip lightly at Dean’s cock through the thin cotton of his boxer briefs.

Dean’s hands closed over Castiel’s wrists as he reached for the waistband of the underwear. “Got a little surprise in there for you, Angel,” Dean said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Cas bit his bottom lip and began to tug the scrap up fabric down Dean’s legs. Once it was discarded, Dean drew his knees up to show Cas the base of a silver plug nestled between his asscheeks. “Oh,” Cas breathed out. “You wanted me to fuck you tonight, didn’t you? I just thought, without the condoms…” He trailed off. His tone wasn’t exactly disappointed, more curious.

Dean smiled up as Cas brightly where he was kneeling between his spread legs. “I want both, Angel. Like I said twice already, we have all night.”

Cas reached between Dean’s legs and pressed the pads of two fingers against the base of the plug, giving it a little wiggle against Dean’s prostate and coaxing a little whimper to fall from Dean’s lips. Cas’ eyes flicked up to Dean’s, mischief flashing in them as he bent to take Dean’s cock in his mouth. 

“F-fuck, Cas!” Dean said between gritted teeth as Cas took him down to the root and swallowed around him while pulling the plug halfway out of his ass. 

“This ok?” Cas asked as he pulled back with a sucking _pop,_ looking up at him with round, curious eyes. 

“Yeah Cas. Whatever you want, Angel. I’m all yours,” Dean answered. 

Cas lowered his head once more, taking one of Dean’s balls in his mouth and sucking while he worked the plug back inside him, tilting it just right to rub it right over his prostate. 

“I want,” Cas said, hesitating. 

“Anything,” Dean breathed out, hips rolling against Cas’ hand where it held onto the plug. 

Cas bit his lip as if considering Dean’s offer, then crawled up the mattress, decision made. “I want you to fuck me while you have that plug in your ass,” he said, swinging a leg over Dean’s hips to straddle him. 

“Come’ere,” Dean said, pulling Cas down for a kiss even as Cas started rocking back against his erection. Dean fumbled around until he found the bottle of lube Cas had used to open himself up, and Cas took it from him and lifted up onto his knees so he could reach between his legs and slick Dean’s cock with slow, firm strokes. “Look so good, Cas, so hot,” he said, running his hands over Castiel’s taut tummy and up over his firm pecs. Cas was still lean with youth, but Dean could tell he would fill out quite nicely and he was looking forward to watching Cas mature for years to come. 

Cas grasped Dean’s cock and held it in place so he could sink down on it, taking it inside himself fully. He gasped at the feeling of Dean’s bare cock slipping inside him, so hot and smooth without the latex barrier between them. “Touch me,” Cas demanded, “Get me hard again, Dean.” He began to rock his hips, riding Dean slow and deep and his head fell back as Dean’s thick fingers wrapped around his cock and stroked him in a firm grip.

“Fuck,” Dean moaned as Cas started riding him faster, his cock hardening in Dean’s grasp as Cas forced it into his fist. “Not gonna last, Angel,” he warned, overwhelmed at the sensation of being inside Cas without the condom separating them.

“Don’t you dare come,” Cas grit out, slowing his hips to a lazy grind. “You’re not allowed to come until I replace that plug with my cock and fuck you raw.”

“Jesus Christ, Cas, where did you get that filthy fucking mouth?” Dean teased before a moan was punched out of him by Cas dropping heavily into his lap. 

Cas rolled his hips, clenching around Dean just to hear him bite back a curse. “I guess you just bring it out in me.” He leaned down, pressing their chests together and kissed Dean hot and messy, moaning when Dean kissed back with fervor, his fingers sliding into his hair, tugging at the dark strands. A surprised gasp escaped his lips as Dean planted his feet on the mattress and started thrusting into him hard and fast, nailing his prostate more often than not. “Fuck, Dean!”

“Yeah, you like that Angel?” Dean said, his fingers biting into Cas’ hips to guide him back to meet him thrust for thrust. “Fuck. Close, Cas.”

“No,” Cas growled out, rolling off of Dean’s lap and moving between his legs before Dean could even think to protest. “You’ll come on my cock, or not at all,” he said, eyebrow arched as he looked down at his lover’s awe-struck face. He reached between Dean’s legs and tugged at the plug, easing it free before pushing it back in again. Dean’s toes curled as he cried out, loudly, not even caring if the guests below could hear him.

“That’s it, Baby,” he said as Cas worked the plug free, tossing it aside. Cas squirted some lube on his fingers and slipped them inside Dean, replacing the plug. 

“Nice and loose for me already,” Cas said, curling his fingers in Dean’s ass to seek out his prostate. 

Dean nodded and whimpered as Cas started to massage his sweet spot. “Want you, Cas. Want you to fuck me.” He sent a little prayer up to whoever may be listening, thanking them for Castiel’s twenty-one year old refractory period, and pushed his hips back against Cas’ hand.

“Greedy,” Cas said, voice low and throaty, crooking his fingers to tease Dean further.

“Please,” Dean begged, reaching down to give his cock a tug, his hand greeted by the slap of Castiel’s.

Cas slipped his fingers free, wiping them on the sheets before lining himself up at Dean’s wet hole. He took himself in hand and rubbed the head of his cock over Dean’s opening, slicking himself up before pushing into Dean with one slow thrust that left him fully sheathed, balls deep.

“Oh, Dean,” Cas breathed out, feeling Dean’s slick heat around him in a whole new way. “Oh God, you feel amazing.”

Dean pulled him in for a kiss and wrapped his legs around Cas' waist, holding him close as they adjusted to the overwhelming newness of it all. Cas kissed him back, slow and deep, tongue pushing into Dean’s mouth to seek out his own. Little sounds of pleasure escaped him and Cas just captured them, swallowing them down as he kissed him so lovingly, Dean wanted to weep from it. 

Cas pressed his forehead to Dean’s as the kiss broke, looking into the green depths of his eyes. “I love you,” Cas said sweetly before his hips started rolling in a slow rhythm against Dean’s.

“Love you too, so much,” Dean breathed out, hands landing on the globes of Cas’ to pull him in with every gentle thrust. 

“Gonna miss this.” Cas’ rhythm picked up, hips slapping against Dean’s ass as Dean’s moans filled the room. “Gonna miss you.”

“Fuck-me too-yeah, right there, Angel.”

Cas grasped Dean’s ankles, holding them up in the air as tilted his hips just enough to hit Dean’s prostate, pounding into him with abandon. One of Dean’s hands fell to the sheets, twisting them in a tight fist while the other pressed against his own mouth, desperate to muffle the moans that threatened to wake everyone in the inn. 

“Come for me Dean. Come on my cock,” Cas said, speeding his thrusts and fucking Dean hard enough to push him up the mattress. He grasped Dean’s hips and pulled him back on his cock, lifting his ass up and hitting just the right spot to have Dean coming, shooting his load all over his own chest with a surprised moan. “Fuck, Dean, I’m gonna… where should I?”

“In me Cas,” Dean panted, his thighs tightening around Cas’ hips for emphasis. “Come inside me, Angel.”

Cas thrusted into him a handful more times before his body stiffened and he came hard, coating Dean’s insides with his release. He thrust lazily as he came down from his climax, grinding his hips into Dean’s and leaning in to kiss him and smear Dean’s spend between their bodies. 

They kissed slowly for awhile, uncaring about the mess between them or how Cas was softening while still inside Dean. When Cas finally slipped out of him, Dean whimpered with the sudden empty feeling left behind and gathered Cas into his arms. Cas went easily, laying his head against Dean’s chest with a heavy sigh. Neither of them made a move to clean up, too content to just lay together, covered in each other’s release. 

After a few minutes of contented bliss, Dean felt the wet drops of Castiel’s tears drip onto his chest, just before he heard a telltale sniffle. “Hey, what’s wrong, Angel?” he asked, brushing Cas’ hair off his forehead and pressing a kiss between his brows.

Cas just sniffled again and shook his head. “It’s nothing,” he choked out, weakly.

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” Dean said, nudging Cas to sit up. Cas went where Dean led him, wiping tears away and frowning down at his own lap. Dean wrapped an arm around him, shushing him softly and placing soft kisses into his hair. “Please talk to me, Cas.”

Cas drew in a shaky breath, releasing it slowly before finally lifting his eyes to meet Dean’s. “I’m scared.” Dean’s eyes drew together in confusion, but he remained quiet, hoping Cas would continue. Cas nibbled at his bottom lip and brushed away a few more stray tears. “I have to go back to school soon, and I don’t want to sleep alone. I don’t want to wake up and find that you’re not there. I’m terrified of losing you to someone who can be here for you all the time, not just on the weekends we can make time for each other.”

“Cas, I’m not going anywhere. It’s only ten months or so, and then we can be together all the time, if that’s what you want,” Dean said, drawing Cas against his chest and peppering his face with kisses.

“What if you meet someone else? You… Dean… you could have anyone! Why should you wait on a twenty-one year old college kid?” Cas was trembling in Dean’s arms, fresh tears spilling onto Dean’s bare chest. “You’re so perfect. You have this thriving business. Your whole life is together, and you’re so handsome, you could have anyone,” he reiterated. “And what am I?”

Dean tipped Cas’ chin up gently and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “You’re the man I love. You’re kind, and talented and so fucking sexy I can barely stand it, and you don’t even know it. You’re so humble that you don’t even notice the eyes that follow you when we’re out, undressing you as if you’re not already mine,” He kissed the unbelieving, wide-eyed look off Castiel’s face before continuing. “I want forever with you, Cas, and I’ll prove that to you while you finish up school. I’ll be right here anytime you want to come down and I’ll be right here after you graduate, and I’ll be right here as you find your way in life and figure out what it is you want to do. I am so, devastatingly in love with you, Angel.”

Cas looked at him with watery eyes, and tried to put on a brave smile. “I don’t want to go,” Cas finally admitted.

“I told you before that you’re welcome to stay. You can continue to make stained glass, or you can do something completely different. Honestly, I don't care if you just want to hang around here in your pajamas all day, as long as I can call you mine. We can start a life together right now, if that’s what you truly want,” Dean said, reassuringly as he held Cas in his arms and ran his hands over the smooth expanse of his tanned back. “But, I think deep down, you want to finish school, and I don’t want you to wake up one day, five years down the road, with regret. I don’t want you to end up resenting me because you gave up on art school to stay here with me. But the choice is yours, Cas. I can’t decide for you.”

Cas burrowed into his side deeper and sighed dramatically. “You’re right. Of course, you’re right.” He placed a soft kiss on Dean’s chest and tightened his arms around him. “I just wish I could have both at the same time. I wish I could stay here and finish school.”

“That gold pimpmobile of yours would eat up way too much gas, so get commuting out of that pretty little head of yours,” Dean said with a chuckle.

“Leave Goldie out of this,” Cas said, pinching Dean’s side and making his boyfriend squirm with a huff.

“Goldie?” Dean laughed heartily, kissing Cas deeply when he looked up at him with a grin of his own.

“What? You can call your car Baby, but I can’t name mine?”

“You can call her whatever you want, Angel,” Dean kissed him again, then slid back down to burrow under the covers, Cas in tow. Cas snuggled up against his chest, and they held each other in comfortable silence for a long moment. “We’re ok, right?” Dean finally asked.

Cas nodded against his chest. “I think so. I just got scared for a second… I’ll just miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you too, every second of every day.”

“I love you, Dean.”

“I love you too, Cas.”

One of their stomachs growled, and they broke into laughter, effectively ruining the moment. They finally dragged themselves out of bed to clean up, then shared a dinner of cold leftover chicken, huddled together at the kitchen island. Stomachs full and libidos sated, they climbed the stairs and fell back into bed where they slept, curled around each other, soaking up every second they had left together.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to wrap up now. I'm going to miss them. They're cute.

The summer was slowly waning, the ocean breeze starting to dip just a bit cooler as August neared its end, and Cas was leaving the next day. Cas was leaving, and Dean was too busy pouting about that fact to enjoy their last hours together.

He knew he was being bratty, his dark mood hanging like a cloud over his morning as he sat next to Cas, working on a small piece for what felt like the first time in years. He’d finished the church window the week earlier, and it had been picked up and delivered for installation while he kept Cas sequestered away in their bedroom so he couldn’t sneak a peek. Now Dean was free to start working on something else, side by side with his boyfriend who hung the moon for all he was concerned, and he wasn’t even able to enjoy it.

Dean snuck a sideways glance at Cas, a small smile working it’s way onto his face in spite of how devastatingly upset he was. He knew he had to keep those feelings to himself, bottle them up, cork it and toss them into the ocean. Cas couldn’t know how unhappy he was, not when he himself was struggling with the fact that he’d packed most of his belongings into the trunk of his car earlier that morning. Every day, Dean fought the urge to take back everything he’d said about finishing school and beg him to stay, because he knew if he did, Cas wouldn’t go anywhere. It would take the tiniest hint that Dean wanted to wake up to him every morning to make Cas crumble and throw away three years of schooling, and Dean meant what he said when he’d told Cas he didn’t want him to have regrets.

His emotions were pulling him in ten different directions, and to make matters worse, Dean’s phone still hadn’t rung with the news that the window had been installed. It had been almost a full week since it had been picked up by the moving company, and nothing. He wanted nothing more than to show Cas the window before he had to leave for school, to show him how much he’d inspired Dean from the second he walked into his life and told him he was named after an angel. The fact that it wasn’t ready yet was at least half the reason Dean was wound so tight, ready to snap at the first hint of annoyance. 

“Dean,” Sam’s voice called out and Dean look over to see his brother’s head where it had popped up in the doorway. “Phone.”

His heart leapt into his throat. Perhaps the church called the landline of the inn instead of his cell? Could it be possible? 

“Be right back, Angel,” Dean said, setting aside his soldering iron and pressing a kiss to the side of Cas’ face. “Looks good,” he added, glancing down at the piece his boyfriend had been working on while Dean ignored him and silently brooded at his side. 

“Thank you, Dean.” Cas beamed up at him, and his smile was like the sun coming out after a storm. 

Fuck, he loved Cas so much he ached with it. He resolved to knock it the fuck off and dig himself out of the black hole of his bad mood, no matter who was on the other end of the phone. It was their last day together for a bit, and he was fucking it all up instead of showering Cas with affection the way he deserved. 

“What do you say I take this call and we call it quits for the day? This is so stupid sitting in here working when we should be soaking up very second we have left,” Dean said, his tone lighter now as he cut the cord tethering the dark cloud hanging over him. 

“Yes, please,” Cas breathed out gratefully, unplugging his soldering iron and standing to do the same with Dean’s. “Go take your call.” He pecked Dean on the lips, soft and dry, then patted his ass to get him moving. 

Dean couldn’t help but smile to himself as he bounded into the house and picked the phone up from where Sam had abandoned on the kitchen island.

“Dean Winchester,” he greeted.

“Mr. Winchester, this is Anna Milton. I was just calling to let you know that your window has been installed, if you wanted to stop by the church and check it out.”

Dean couldn’t help but grin at the perfect timing of it all. “Thank you for letting me know, Anna. You have no idea how badly I needed this today.”

They exchanged a few pleasantries, familiar enough from their back and forth calls about the commission over the summer, and Dean hung up after letting her know he’d stop by shortly with his boyfriend. 

He swallowed nervously as he realized this was it. This was what he’d been working toward all summer, and he was about to show Castiel his own likeness, immortalized in lead and glass and hanging in the church for all to see. Sudden panic gripped Dean as he wondered how Cas would feel about it. He hoped he was right and Cas would love it, but what if he didn’t?

It was too late, now. Dean was in too deep, and he had no choice. Even if he put it off now, Cas would come down for a visit and want to see it, and how long could Dean pretend it wasn’t ready. No. It was time. He sucked in a deep breath, releasing it in a slow, cleansing exhale as he tried to talk himself off a ledge. He could do this. He could show Cas and he tell him everything he’d been planning on telling him before he left for school. Dean remembered the gift he had tucked away for Cas in his sock drawer and went upstairs to retrieve it, tucking it into his shirt pocket before returning to Cas’ side. 

.  
.  
.

Castiel busied himself by cleaning up their shared workspace one last time and took a look around the garage, eyes lingering over Dean’s bi pride flag and the panels of rainbow colored glass standing on end in the handmade storage unit Dean had built himself. He felt a pang of loss as he looked around, feeling like he was leaving behind everything he was meant to have in his life. He was fulfilled there, emotionally, romantically and professionally. He could see himself being very happy right where he was and it stung that he was walking away from it all for almost a year. Even though he’d be back as often as he could manage with his schedule, he ached with longing to stay put. 

He hated this. He hated knowing that he’d wake up the next morning and have to get into his enormous, gas-guzzling car and drive away from the place he’d gradually begun to think of as _home._ Cas knew growing up that the shore had a magnetic pull that felt out of his control. He’d always felt like he belonged amongst the soft sand and the scent of the salty sea, but he never really knew why until he met Dean and fell head over heels so quickly for him.

Castiel had never been on to subscribe to fairytales. He’d never believed in love at first sight or giving up everything for love, but in that moment, standing in Dean’s garage, he felt like he would risk it all to stay exactly where he was, in Cape May with Dean. For the first time in Castiel’s life, he dared to imagine a future. Years of art school had never sparked the joy in him that a few months with Dean had. He felt like he’d found his path in life, and that path led directly to Dean’s door, where he could love and be loved, where he could create and build a career with his own two hands. Cas found himself dreaming and hoping for things now, a marriage someday, perhaps kids, maybe even a little shop of their own where they could sell their art and become a real part of the beautiful community they lived in. He was giddy with happiness as he imagined a life with Dean, and he knew deep down, no matter what, he’d return and they’d have everything they wanted. He believed. He had to if he was ever going find the strength to leave it all behind.

“Hey, Baby,” Dean said as he returned from his phone call. “I have something to show you.”

“I take it that was a good phone call? I haven't seen you smile like that all day,” Cas said, happy that Dean finally seemed happy.

“Sorry I’ve been so moody, Angel,” Dean said sweetly, pulling Cas into his arms and kissing him. “I’ve been pushing you away and being grumpy instead of soaking up all my Cas time. I’m an idiot.”

Cas wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and drew him into another kiss. “I get it. We’re both counting down the minutes, and it sucks. So, let’s ignore it. Let’s pretend I’m not leaving tomorrow.”

“Denial? I think I can handle that,” Dean said with a chuckle, kissing Cas’ nose before releasing him and dragging him out of the garage and into the Impala. 

.  
.  
.

Dean’s left knee was bouncing and his palms were sweating on the steering wheel as he drove them the short distance to the church. He kept sneaking glances at Cas, his heart clenching at the sight of him and a pang of love struck Dean square in the chest every time he looked over. They had the windows rolled down and Cas was reclined back in his seat with his eyes closed and hair askew, basking in the ocean breeze and sunlight with a ghost of a smile on his beautiful face. 

“Fuck, I love you,” Dean said breathlessly, unable to hold it in for one more second. 

Cas’ eyes opened and he looked over at Dean with that bright smile Dean couldn’t get enough of, all straight, white teeth, scrunched up nose and eye crinkles. “And I love you,” Cas said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Dean supposed it was. They certainly said it often enough, much to Dean’s surprise. He’d never been so open and free with those three little words, and now he found himself saying them a few times a day because they were more true than ever before and he couldn’t hold them in around Cas if he tried. 

Dean finally pulled into the parking lot of the church, putting the Impala in park and turning the key to shut off the rumbling engine. Cas reached for the door handle and Dean leaned over to grab his hand and stop him. “Wait,” he said, his heart pounding in his chest, rapidly. He was just moments away from the one thing he’d been waiting all summer for and his nerves were absolutely shot. 

“Are you ok, Dean?” Cas asked, his free hand covering Dean’s hand where it rested on his knee. 

“A little nervous, that’s all,” Dean said, squeezing Cas’ hand and leaning in for a quick kiss. “This window… it didn’t come easy for me. I was commissioned for weeks before I was struck with any kind of inspiration. When you got here to start your apprenticeship, well, you saw my workroom. It was empty. I didn’t have a single idea about how I wanted to execute this thing. I sketched up dozens of windows, but nothing seemed right. I was losing hope, getting so close to calling up Anna and telling her I couldn’t do it.”

Cas was listening intently. At some point, they’d laced fingers and Cas was rubbing circles on the back of Dean’s hand with his thumb. Dean drew in a breath and pulled Cas’ hand to his mouth, brushing his lips over Cas’ knuckles before he was ready to continue.

“Then you showed up with your blue eyes and your square jaw and the name of an angel. You’re so beautiful Cas, more beautiful than any stained glass window, and suddenly, I could work again.”

Cas’ eyes were glassy as he processed Dean’s words, but Dean could tell he still didn’t get it. He didn’t know he was Dean’s muse and that the window inside the church was created in his likeness. Dean swallowed thickly and pulled a handkerchief out of his shirt pocket. 

“Do you trust me, Angel?” he asked, and Cas nodded immediately.

“With my life,” Cas stated, driving it home. 

Dean folded the handkerchief, then wrapped it around Cas’ head, covering his eyes. He kissed Cas’ nose and Cas huffed out a little laugh. When the knot was tightened behind Cas’ head, Dean waved a hand in front of his face to make sure he couldn’t see.

“Stop waving your hand in front of my face,” Cas said with a grin.

“What? You can see me?”

“No, it’s just what everyone does after they blindfold someone,” Cas laughed, and Dean snorted at him in disbelief.

“Stay there for a second, smart ass,” Dean said, slipping out of the car and circling around to Cas’ side to open the door for him. 

Cas allowed Dean to take his hands and lead the way, tripping over a rock here and there while Dean cursed and apologized. He heard a door swing open and felt the cool air from inside the building hit his face, but still, Dean left him in the dark. They walked a ways, their steps echoing off the high ceiling, then Dean stopped, turning him by his shoulders until he was facing whatever it was that Dean wanted him to face. Then, the blindfold was whipped off and he was staring into the peridot green eyes of his boyfriend.

“Hey, Angel,” Dean said softly, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. When Cas looked back at him questioningly, Dean shrugged. “It’s right behind you. I’m still… fuck, Cas. I’m so nervous to show you.”

Cas reached up, running his fingers through Dean’s hair to soothe him. “I won’t turn around until you’re ready,” he said, drawing Dean in for another kiss, a bit deeper this time. The church was empty, no one to see them standing there, statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on the cross the only ones around to judge them. “But Dean, you’re so talented. What makes you so nervous about this piece? Why are you afraid for me to see it?”

Dean’s mouth tilted up at one side, a sideways smile that always appeared when he was anxious and trying to put on a brave face. It was time to rip off the bandaid. “Turn around and see, Angel.”

Cas blinked at him for a couple seconds, only turning when Dean gave a nod and reached out to gently spin him by his shoulders. When his eyes fell on the eight foot tall window, Cas gasped, his hand coming up to cover his mouth and tears filling his eyes. 

The window had turned out even better than Dean had imagined it would, and it was nothing short of stunning now, with the sun shining through it. The stark black wings and bright white halo contrasting beautifully where they surrounded the spitting image of the man he loved. Even far over their heads, Dean could see how the blue eyes of the angel shined so bright with the sun shining through them, reminding him so much of the way Cas’ eyes sparkled at the beach when the waves reflected off of them. It was easily Dean’s best piece to date, and Cas was still standing there, stark still and dumbfounded.

Dean held his breath, waiting for Cas to say _something_ while his heart thundered in his chest.

“Dean,” Cas finally breathed out, sounding completely awe-struck, then his feet were moving, carrying him closer to the window and out of Dean’s reach. 

Dean willed himself forward, coming to stand next to Cas and risking a glance over at him. Cas’ watery eyes were flicking over the window rapidly, taking in every small detail, all the while, his hand remained over his mouth. He was stunned, and only time would tell if it was a good stunned, or a bad stunned, and Dean could barely stand it.

Seconds ticked by slowly, while Cas studied the window, his head tilted and his hand clamped over his mouth, and finally Dean couldn’t take it anymore. “Say something, Cas.”

“It’s me,” Cas said, his words coming out so softly and muffled behind his hand, Dean could barely make them out. “Why is it me?”

“Cause you’re my Angel, Cas. It had to be you,” Dean answered honestly, praying to a God he didn’t even really believe in that Cas’ reaction meant good things.

Castiel’s hand was shaking when Dean reached over to take it in his, and the other hand finally fell away from his mouth. He looked over at Dean, those denim blue eyes Dean loved so much shining with unshed tears and so much love, Dean could feel it like a tangible thing wrapping around him. “Dean, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had anyone do something like this for me before. It’s… I’m overwhelmed.”

Dean blew out a breath and took a step closer to Cas. “Good overwhelmed, or bad overwhelmed. Please tell me I didn’t freak you out.”

“Oh, Dean. Good. So good,” Cas pulled him in then, kissing him soundly, sinfully, right there in front of the angels and saints, and Dean thought fleetingly that if there was a God, he’d be entirely within his rights to strike them down right then and there. “All those weeks you wouldn’t show me and this is what you were doing. I can’t believe you did this, Dean. Why?” Cas said as the kiss broke. 

“You’re my muse, Cas,” Dean said with a shrug. “Without you, there never would have been a window.” 

“It seems egotistical to tell you it’s beautiful, since it’s me, but Dean, it is truly exquisite. The details are unbelievable,” Cas said, turning back to study the window once more. 

Dean preened under the praise. He was damned proud of the window. He was proud of the tiny pieces of rainbow colored glass that he’d spent hours on end piecing together for the frame. He was proud of each and every perfectly detailed feather. He was proud of the depth and movement he was able to achieve in the folds of the robe the angel wore. He was proud of how closely he was able to recreate every gorgeous feature of Castiel’s face and his mussed, chocolate brown hair. 

And he was damn proud that he made Cas deliriously happy.

“Hey, come here,” Dean said, tugging Cas over to sit beside him in a pew that still gave them a view of the window. When they were settled, Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box. “I have one more thing for you.”

His heart was beating wildly in his chest again, and he wondered how much his poor heart could take before it just exploded. He shook it off and looked up into the eyes of the most important person in his life… and when had that happened? He chuckled to himself and Cas tilted his head, eyebrows drawing together in confusion and reminding Dean so much of the day they’d finally met in person and Cas had done that same adorable confused head tilt. 

“Fuck, I fell for you so fast,” Dean said, reaching up to cup Cas’ cheek and trace a thumb over his sharp cheekbone. “You showed up and I didn’t stand a chance. I was half in love with you at first sight. I don’t want you to go,”

“Dean,” Cas said, cutting him off. “I though you did want me to go.”

Dean smiled and leaned in to kiss him. “Let me finish, Angel,” he chastised, and Cas nodded. “I don’t want you to go, but I know you have to. You need to finish school, and we’ll be ok. I know we will. But I know you had doubts, mostly about me being able to wait for you. I just need you to know, you have nothing to worry about. I want to make a promise to you, here in front of God, if you believe in that sort of thing… I’m not sure if I do… but anyway,” he laughed at his own awkwardness. “I want to promise you that I will be faithful to you while you’re away, and that I will be here for you whenever you come home. I will try to come visit you as often as I can, and I promise to work at this relationship no matter how hard it gets, until you come back for good. And when you do, that’s it. You’re it for me Cas. I want forever, and I want you to have this to remind you of my promise to you every single day that we’re apart.” 

Dean flipped open the lid to the box, revealing a silver band that looked like a feather. It wasn’t anything fancy, and had cost Dean all of fifty bucks, but Cas’ eyes filled with tears all the same. Dean supposed it really was the thought that counts. 

“Oh, Dean,” Cas said, his face lighting up in a gorgeous smile. “You didn’t need to… You know I trust you, right?”

“Of course, Angel. I just… I wanted to. I wanted you to know how committed I am to us. I want it to be you and me for as long as you’ll have me,” he said with a shrug, plucking the ring from the box and grabbing Cas’ right hand. He slipped the ring onto his right ring finger, thrilled that it fit. “I’d put it on the other hand, but I have plans for that one someday. I’ll get you something nicer when that day comes.”

Just when Dean thought Cas’ smile couldn’t get any bigger, Cas proved him wrong. “I look forward to that day, Dean, when we’re ready. For now, this is more than I could have dreamed of. Thank you.” 

They sat there in the pew, kissing soft and sweet, breaking here and there to look up at Dean’s window as the sun drifted across the sky, changing the way the light shone through the glass. When they finally left a while later, Dean took Cas out to a nice dinner, then they went for one last walk on the beach. They settled side by side on one of the lifeguard chairs and ended up making out as the sun set, making the sky burst with colors that would inspire any artist that wasn’t currently too wrapped up in their lover to notice.

After a shower together to rinse the sand from the nooks and crannies it had found its way into, Cas pressed Dean into the mattress and worshiped his body with his lips and tongue. He opened Dean up nice and slow until Dean was a writhing, begging mess, then slipped inside him and made love to him slow and deep as they whispered to each other how much they love and would miss each other. They came together an eternity later, then laid wrapped around each other, talking through the night when they should have been sleeping.

When the sun peeked over the horizon the following morning, they got lost in each other’s bodies one last time before Dean cooked them a breakfast they ate outside on the porch swing. 

“By the time you come visit, I’ll have the pergola up, if it kills me. I’m gonna string lights on it and get a little table for underneath. I’ll cook you dinner and we’ll eat outside by candlelight,” Dean said dreamily. 

Cas smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Good,” Dean laughed. “Someone has to put me in my place.” Cas’ eyes flashed with heat, and Dean laughed again. “Yeah, yeah. In bed too, if it floats your boat.”

“Floats yours too,” Cas accused and Dean just shrugged and smirked in reply.

A little while later, after they’d washed their dishes, they stood out front, Dean’s back pressed to Goldie’s driver side door while Cas kissed the breath from his lungs. They had been there for a while, just kissing and soaking up each other’s warmth. Cas promised to try to make it back down the next weekend, and Dean clung to him, stalling his departure, as it really sunk in that they wouldn’t be waking up together every morning anymore.

The time did come though, and Cas had to head out. Dean took his hand in his own, pulling it to his lips and brushing a kiss over the promise ring that was shining silver, contrasting beautifully against Cas’ tanned skin. Dean had a pang of regret that he hadn’t put it on Cas’ wedding finger. What a claim that could have been, something to show the world that Cas was all his.

“Everything you promised me, Dean, I promise the same,” Cas said, as if he could read Dean’s thoughts. “You’re it for me too.”

Dean sighed and pulled Cas flush against him in a tight hug. “I love you so much, Cas. Go get that degree Angel, then come home to me.”

“I will always come home to you, Dean,” Cas said reverently, kissing Dean as if their lives depended on it. “I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”

Dean stood in the street, watching Cas’ ridiculous Lincoln until it disappeared from sight, then he climbed the stairs to the inn, strangely at peace with letting Cas go for now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I got so lazy and scatterbrained that I never sat down to edit this final chapter until now. But it's here! Finally!

_Three Years Later_

Blunt teeth dragged over the pulse point in Dean’s throat, and distantly he heard an undignified sound that fell somewhere between a moan and a whimper falling from his own lips. 

“Yeah, you like that?” a gruff voice rumbled against Dean’s ear and he couldn’t hold back the full body shiver Cas’ warmth breath sent shuddering through him.

Big, strong hands grazed over his ribs and down to the backs of his thighs where they gripped him tightly. Cas moaned against his throat as Dean's hips lifted from the mattress, pressing their cocks together between them. “Just get on with it,” Dean pleaded, his legs falling apart even wider as Cas ground down against him, their cocks hard, aching and still rutting together.

“Patience,” Cas teased, tugging at Dean’s earlobe with his teeth before dropping his lips to plant hot, wet, sucking kisses along the column of Dean’s throat. 

“We have to go set up, Angel. Come on,” Dean said weakly, knowing full well that he’d stay right where he was, tangled in the bedsheets until Cas had had finished having his way with him.

Cas sucked a mark on Dean’s collarbone, smirking against his skin when he felt Dean finally give in and go pliant for him. “The sun isn’t even up yet. We have plenty of time,” Cas murmured, just before his lips worked their way south over Dean’s naked body, pausing to flick his tongue over a nipple, then onward to drag his teeth over a hipbone and into the crease where Dean’s thigh joined his groin. He pushed Dean’s legs apart even wider, nosing at his balls and licking his cock from base to tip. “How should I make come?” he asked, voice still thick and deep with sleep.

“Fuck me,” Dean answered on a gasp as Cas’ lips wrapped around his cock and sucked at the head. 

Cas continued to sucke, swirling his tongue over the sensitive spot under the head before drawing away and looking up at Dean with big, concerned, blue eyes. “You’re not too sore from last night?” Cas asked, even as his fingers dipped between Dean’s legs to press against his hole.

“No…'m fine... please,” Dean whimpered, hips rocking to press against Cas’ hand. 

“Sure this won’t take too long?” Cas teased. 

“Just do it,” Dean snapped, fumbling in the nightstand drawer for the lube and handing it over to his eager boyfriend. 

Cas opened him up nice and slow, his tongue lapping at Dean's hole until Dean was floating from pleasure and couldn't remember what he was even in a hurry to go do. Long, slender fingers pushed inside him, probing, retreating and pushing back in again before searching out his prostate and massaging it until Dean is writhing and begging for Castiel to fill him up. Slicked up and settled between Dean's legs, Cas kissed him sweet and slow, lips parting and tongues tangling. Cas puleds away and flipped Dean over until he was flat on his stomach, then straddled his thighs. 

"This ok?" Cas asked, and Dean nodded, his cheek rubbing against the bedclothes. It was all the permission Cas needs to slowly push into Dean, his cock squeezed so tight with Dean in this position, legs together, Cas bracketing them with his own. Dean moaned and pushed back as Castiel bottomed out, and Cas laid himself across Dean's body, plastering himself to Dean's back and pressing warm kisses to the back of his neck. Cas draped his arms over Dean's, lacing their fingers together as his hips worked in slow, small circles, grinding against Dean's ass. 

"Fuck," Dean breathed out, tilting his head to the side to entice Cas by revealing the long line of his neck. Taking the bait, Cas pressed his lips to the spot behind Dean's ear that usually leaves him a whimpering mess, and sucks just as he pulls out and thrusts into Dean hard. "Fuck!" Dean said, much louder this time, and he feels Castiel's lips curl into a smirk against his skin. 

Castiel fucked Dean like that for a while, nice and slow with the occasional surprising hard thrust, then he shifted, rising up to his knees and pulling Dean with him, back to chest. Castiel splayed one hand over Dean's ribs, holding him in place and used the other to pinch Dean's nipple, earning him a soft gasp from Dean's spit-slick lips. Dean's head fell back against his shoulder, and he extended one arms behind him to bury a hand in Castiel's hair. 

"Yes," Dean hissed as Castiel's thrusts sped, Cas grunting softly in his ear.

"I love you," Castiel murmured against Dean's ear, reveling in the full body shudder his warm breath shook out of Dean. When Castiel's thrusts became too fast and too hard, Dean collapsed forward onto all fours, and Cas didn't lose a step, grasping onto his hips for leverage and pounding into him. 

"C-close," Dean gasped out, reaching between his legs only to have his hand swatted away and replaced with Cas' wrapping around his cock and stroking him in time with his brutal thrusts. He was spilling onto the bed within seconds of feeling Castiel's hand on him, coming in forceful spurts as he moaned through his orgasm and clutched at the comforter. He pushed back against Castiel's hips, meeting him thrust for thrust as Cas chased his own climax. Strong fingers tightened on Dean's hips a minute or so later, and Cas came with a soft groan, deep inside of Dean.

Castiel sighed softly into Dean's hair as he came down from his orgasm, his hips still thrusting lazy against Dean's ass. One last, soft kiss between Dean's shoulder blades, then Castiel pulled out, rolled off the bed, and smacked Dean's ass as Dean sunk down into the mattress, boneless. "Come on, Dean, get your ass in the shower. We have to go set up," Castiel said, chuckling at how spent his boyfriend was. He laughed again as Dean mustered the energy to flip him the bird over his shoulder, then went to start the water in the shower. 

They did have somewhere to be.

.  
.  
.

Castiel loved the fall. He also enjoyed summers on the beach with sand between his toes, a sea breeze cooling his sun warmed skin, and the magnificent sight of salt water glistening on Dean’s half naked body, of course. But he not so secretly loved the day in late September when he could feel the first hints of an autumn chill on the salty air. He welcomed the change of season and the slow down that came with the tourists going home, especially after that particular summer, when he’d been busier than he’d been since finishing school and making the move to Cape May permanently. 

One of the reasons he loved fall was because he loved Halloween. He supposed he was a big gay cliché in that regard, but he loved the magic and the make believe that surrounded the holiday. He loved handing out candy to the costumed rugrats that knocked on the door and he loved how hot Dean looked every year when he dressed up as Han Solo and drug him around to every costume contest in every bar along the shore. He especially loved the celebration sex that came anytime Dean managed a win.

But Halloween and all of its glitter and skimpy costumes were still over a week away, and Cas was in Batsto Village, wearing a thick, cable knit sweater and taking part in his other favorite fall event, the annual arts and crafts fair.

The first weekend he’d ever spent at the event, he was just there to help Dean man his booth. He’d come down from school to visit, and together they sold Dean’s stained glass works and the leftover pieces Cas has made over the summer. Dean stuck to their original deal, tucking 50% of every sale on Cas’ pieces into a separate envelope, and Cas put that in the bank with the other money he’d made over the summer. Late morning, Dean had snuck away from their booth, returning with hot chocolate and homemade apple cider donuts that were still warm from the fryer and sparkling with cinnamon sugar, and they sat huddled together on folding chairs, sharing a woolen plaid blanket and watching as people browsed the booths. 

The second year the art show was just after Sam announced he was resigning from the inn and going back to school. He and Jess had gotten engaged and Sam was ready to live out his dream of practicing law. Dean accepted the resignation with a smile and bought out Sam’s half of the business, no questions asked. Castiel stepped in and helped out as much as he could, but Dean managed the inn quite well without Sam, and now the profits were all his.

That year, with Cas finished school, living at the inn, and working on his art almost full time, they sold a fairly even mix of both of their works at the show, a bet on the table over who would outsell the other. The winner got to pick who bottomed that night, and Castiel can still remember how smug he was when he spread Dean wide and slipped inside him. Later, after he’d been sufficiently fucked into the mattress, Dean confessed the outcome would have been the same even if he had he been the one to win the bet. 

The third year, Castiel had been down with the flu, and Dean immediately cancelled their booth to stay home with him, forcing fluids into his feverish body and making homemade chicken soup. Castiel had been upset, trying to insist that he would be sleeping all day and Dean shouldgo without him. They’d opened their little stained glass shop on Washington Street only a few months earlier and had hundreds of pamphlets printed up to hand out. The art show would have been good exposure, but Dean refused to leave his side, insisting the tourist heavy location would do all the promotion for them. It was Dean’s first time missing the show since he’d started going, and their last autumn spent living in the attic room above the bed and breakfast.

This was year four. They’d been together for over three years now, and Castiel couldn’t be happier. Well, he could, but he figured that day would come soon enough if he had anything to say about it.

Earlier, in the spring, Dean had revved up the Impala and told Cas he had a surprise for him. Cas could still remember the butterflies taking wing in his stomach as he thought to himself, _this is it. Finally._ But instead of taking him somewhere and proposing like Castiel had hoped, Dean drove a few short blocks away and pulled into the driveway of a beautiful Victorian that was just a bit smaller than the Inn.

“What’s this?” Cas asked, blinking up at the pristine gray siding and white gingerbread details of the home.

“Come on,” Dean said, ignoring the questions and exiting the car, only to round the hood and open the door for Cas, who was confused and studying the home’s neat exterior. 

“Dean?” 

Dean smirked down at him and held out a hand, which Cas took reluctantly. He stood when Dean tugged, and followed him up the stairs to the porch. There was a little black lockbox on the doorknob that Dean punched a code into so it would open and produce a key, then he opened the front door and gestured for Cas to go inside ahead of him.

Cas stepped into the foyer, looking up at the grand staircase with it’s original banister, then down at the shining hardwood floors that had been laid in a herringbone patterm. All the trim work and moldings looked original, but restored to a gleaming finish, and the paint colors were tastefully done in soft neutrals. 

“I had to bribe the realtor to give me the code. We’ll be out a little income during one of the peak summer weeks when she stays at the inn for free, but I think it’s worth it,” Dean said as he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. “Same as it was worth putting you up for free three years ago.”

“Only until you asked me to shack up with you in the attic.” Cas smiled at Dean weakly, but his nerves were starting to get to him. “Dean, why are we here?” He had his suspicions, of course, but he needed Dean to say it before he embarrassed himself. 

Dean reached out and grabbed Cas by the waist, spinning him and pulling him back against his chest before kissing his neck. Cas hummed a little sound of appreciation at being touched and waited for Dean to answer him.

“Let me show you the kitchen,” Dean said, and Cas huffed in frustration, but allowed Dean to pull him along. “Most of the house is original, but not the kitchen or the bathrooms. They gutted those and did total renovations. The previous owners really went all out. Look, a fucking pot filler!” Dean said excitedly, swiveling the long faucet away from the subway tiled wall.

“It’s very nice, Dean, but _why are we here?”_

Dean grinned back at him, then grabbed his hand, dragging him though the dining room and living room, pointing out a wood-burning fireplace before insisting they go upstairs. 

“There’re three bedrooms,” Dean said as he pulled Castiel into the smallest one at the back of the house and pointed out the window. “And look out back. A detached garage, just like the inn, and it’s perfect for converting into a workshop. It’s wired for electricity and there’s already a utility sink installed. The laundry is out there too, but I guess nothing’s perfect.” 

Dean finally stopped dragging Cas around when they got to the master bedroom, where the only piece of furniture in the whole house sat. There in the center of the room was a huge, antique, four poster bed with a gauzy white canopy over it. 

“Dean,” Castiel’s voice was a warning now, but Dean’s smile stayed fixed to his face.

“I, um… I close on it tomorrow, and I was hoping…I want your name on everything. I want this to be our home,” Dean finally said. “I already hired a night manager to take over for me at the inn, and I can go over and be there during the day. We’ve outgrown the workshop with the two of us, so you can set up shop here and I can work there, and we’ll have more than enough space. I think it’s time we had our own place, you know? I never wanted to live over the inn forever. And we’re only a few blocks away. We can see each other at lunch time, and we can check in on the guests whenever we want.”

Cas blinked back at Dean before his knees gave out and he sank down onto the soft mattress. “You want us to buy a house? Together?”

“We can afford it Cas. The shop is doing well and so is the inn. I’ve been paying extra on the mortgage whenever I could for years, and I just sent the last check last month. It’s paid off. We can afford this easily,” Dean said as he sank down onto the bed next to Cas.

“It’s not that,” Cas said, his hand trembling a bit as he reached for Dean’s and laced their fingers together. “This is a big step. Are you sure?” After all, it’s not like Dean had put a ring on his other finger yet, but Cas kept that tidbit to himself.

“Never been more sure about anything in my life than I am about making a home with you.” Dean said, pulling him into a kiss. “But if you don’t want this, tell me now, because come tomorrow, this will all be ours.”

Cas was quiet for a few seconds as he mulled it all over. Clearly Dean was in this for the long haul if he wanted them to share a mortgage. Maybe Cas didn’t need an engagement quite yet. 

“Can I get my bees?” he asked, mind made up. He’d been wanting to get a couple hives for years, but Dean worried that the bees would freak out the guests even when Cas had explained over and over that honeybees are nonaggressive.

“Get bees, plant a big garden for them, hell, dance naked in the backyard under the full moon for all I care. Do whatever you want to the place, Angel. It’s ours. Just say the word, and we’ll go sign the papers tomorrow.”

It hadn’t been a proposal, but Cas would take it.

.  
.  
.

“Hey, Angel, what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” Dean asked as he returned to their booth with a box of fresh apple cider donuts and two cups of hot chocolate. Some things never changed. 

“Hello, Dean. Thank you.” He accepted the cup, taking the lid off and blowing on the hot chocolate to cool it before taking an impatient sip that stung his tongue. “I was just think about the day you surprised me with the house.”

Dean smiled and brought Castiel’s hand up to brush his lips across his knuckles. “Best decision of my life. Now when you make me scream, there’s no one right below to hear us.”

Cas laughed and shook his head. Over three years in and they still couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. “That sounds like a challenge. Maybe I’ll see if I can get the next door neighbors to call in a noise complaint later.”

“At least the neighbors can’t leave a rather descriptive Yelp review,” Dean said with a chuckle, taking a massive bite out of a donut and holding the open box out in offering. Cas took a warm, sugary donut and placed the box on the table, out of Dean’s reach to keep him from downing half the box in one go. “You’re not teaching at the shop tonight?” Dean asked.

Castiel taught art classes at their shop a couple times a week for a little extra income, and because he found he actually enjoyed it. Sometimes he did paint and sips, other times he taught basic stained glass skills. During the summer when they hired on extra help, he held arts and crafts classes during the day for the kids that floated through town on vacation. That was the good thing about studying all manners of fine art for four years. He knew a little bit about everything, and frequently considered getting his teaching license. Maybe one day. 

“No class tonight. I figured we’d be tired after today, and it always seems to take twice as long to pack up than we figure it will.”

“Not too much to pack up this year,” Dean said, and he was right. They’d sold a good portion of the stock they’d brought from the shop, including most of the paintings Castiel had been experimenting with lately. “We’ll probably be out of here a half hour after it ends.”

“That’s good. I have somewhere I want to take you in the morning before you head over to the inn,” Cas said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

There was no getting one over on Dean though. They’d been together long enough to know each other’s tells. “Oh yeah? Is the window finally installed? Are you actually going to let me see your _precious?”_ Dean asked, hissing the last word dramatically.

“Save the Golum voice for Charlie. At least she appreciates the reference,” Cas answered with a laugh. Their night manager at the inn was an even bigger nerd than Dean, and the two of them got along swimmingly. If she wasn’t a raging lesbian, Cas would have been terrified of their bond, but it was clear that Dean viewed her as the kid sister he never had.

“Answer the question Cas,” Dean said, nudging his shoulder with his own.

“Yes, if you must know, Anna called me this morning to let me know the window is installed, and I would like to show it to you.” It had been a shock when the church contacted Cas in early summer to commission a window, and he could clearly remember asking Anna if she was sure she hadn’t called for Dean. He was terrified of taking the job and fretted for a few days until Dean finally convinced him that his work was good enough to take on the project.

“Finally! You worked on that thing for months and never let me sneak a peek!”

“You’re one to talk,” Cas teased, fingering the promise ring that sat on his right ring finger since the day Dean nervously gave it to Cas and told him he was ‘it’ for him. 

“That’s fair,” Dean said with a chuckle. “So, just after sunrise?”“Yes. I want you to see it with the light shining through, then I’ll get you back in time to make breakfast for the guests.”

“I’ll bribe Charlie to get up and do it. I don’t want to rush it. I want to be able to appreciate the moment I get to see your first big commission.”  
Cas felt a warmth spreading through his chest. That was exactly what he hoped Dean would say, because he had plans and had already given Charlie the heads up that Dean may not make it in at all that day.

“I’m still jealous you got to do an _archangel._ At least you got guidelines,” Dean huffed, feigning annoyance.

“Not like that helped,” Cas said, remembering how difficult it had been to design such a large piece, regardless of guidelines and inspiration. But the payoff in the end had been worth all the worry and work, and he couldn’t wait to show Dean in the morning.

.  
.  
.

“It’s weird being on this end of the blindfold,” Dean said with a chuckle while Cas led him by their laced fingers through the doorway of the church.

“I know exactly what you mean,” Cas said, his voice breaking and betraying his nerves. “I can’t help but wonder if this is what you felt like when you brought me here to show me your window. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Yeah,” Dean said, bumping lightly into Cas and shuffling to a stop. “Sounds about right. I was so nervous.”

“I remember. I remember everything about that day,” Cas said reverently, reaching out to cup Dean’s cheek and draw him close for a kiss. “I remember you telling me that you wanted me for as long as I’ll have you.”

“I meant it. Still do,” Dean said, leaning in for another kiss that Cas gave willingly.

“Good,” Cas murmured against his lips just before yanking the blindfold over Dean’s head. “Go ahead and turn around.”

Dean did as he was told, taking in the striking form of the archangel Michael that stood in front of him. The angel was wrapped in silver robes, his white wings large and partially folded behind him, silhouetted in a sunburst of yellows, oranges and reds. Behind his head was a pearl white halo, and his face…

“I should have known,” Dean said, shaking his head.

“It took a minute or two to convince Anna to let me create him in your image,” Cas said wistfully, “But in the end I won that argument.” 

“The shit she gave me when she realized I created mine to look like you,” Dean shook his head and laughed. “Called me a love sick fool. Not surprised she put up a fight.”

“To be fair, it wasn’t much of a fight. It was more, ‘The locals will know, Castiel.’” Cas said, his voice pitching up a few octaves to play the role of Anna. “All I could say to that was ‘good.’ I want the world to know that you’re mine, Dean Winchester, and that I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”

Dean pulled Cas in, pressing a kiss to his lips before breathing out a shaky sigh. He turned back to the window, eyes raking over the details, committing them to memory as he stepped closer. “Should I be expecting a promise ring?” He huffed out a laugh that died on his lips when he turned to face Cas, only to find him down on one knee in front of him.

“Of sorts,” Cas said with a nervous grin. “I, um… I kind of thought that when this happened, you’d be the one asking. You’re older and you were the one who gave me this beautiful promise ring over three years ago. So I waited. When you bought us the house I thought, ‘ok, this is it,’ but you didn’t ask. And if you’re not ready, I’ll put this ring back in my pocket and we’ll go on as we have… but if you are ready…” Cas trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Fuck it, will you marry me, Dean?”

Dean’s eyes had welled with tears when he’d realized what was happening, but even that couldn’t stop a laugh from bubbling up in his throat. “You idiot,” he said with a huge grin. 

“I…what?”

Dean just kept smiling down at Cas as he walked the two steps that brought him within an arm’s reach, then he dropped down to one knee, mirroring Cas. “You’re an idiot, and I love you.” He reached into his inside jacket pocket and produced a little black ring box. “Been carrying this around for a year, at least. I’ve known I wanted to marry you since the day you drove off and went back to school, but I didn’t want to rush it and scare you off. Then I was finally going to ask you when I bought the house, but you’d just gotten this commission, and I figured I’d wait until you brought me to show me the window. Two rings for two windows. Symmetry or bookends, or whatever.” He shrugged. “You weren’t supposed to beat me to it.”

“Did we just… propose to each other?” Cas asked with an amused shake of his head. 

“Not quite yet,” Dean said, popping the lid on his box to show Cas the silver band inside, inlaid with a blue abalone stripe. “Will you marry me, Castiel?”

“I asked you first,” Cas grinned, opening his own ring box to reveal another silver band, this one inlaid with a stripe of multicolored flecks that resembled stained glass. “It reminded me of how we met,” he said when Dean leaned in for a closer look.

Dean’s eyes lit up as he smiled down at the ring. “Yours reminds me of your eyes.”

Cas smiled and held out his left hand to Dean, and Dean took the ring out of the box, slipping it onto Cas’ ring finger with shaking hands. Cas took Dean’s hand next and slipped the other ring into place, drawing Dean’s hand to his lips and pressing a kiss across his knuckles. 

“Yes,” Dean said softly.

“Yes,” Cas echoed, just before Dean pulled him flush against him chest and kissed the life out of him.

.  
.  
.

_EPILOGUE_

The wedding was a small affair the spring after their dual proposal. Neither wanted to wait, and after a brief argument over venue, they decided they weren’t religious enough to get married beneath their windows and opted for a small ceremony under an excessively flowered arch on the beach. 

The weather was beautiful, warm with only the occasional wisp of a cloud dotting the cerulean sky. Dean and Castiel recited their vows with the crashing of the waves as their only soundtrack and when they kissed each other as newlyweds, it was with enough passion to elicit catcalls from Charlie. The only guests in attendance aside from Charlie and the grooms were Castiel’s parents, Sam and Jess along with the officiant and a photographer who captured pictures of the happy couple in front of the crashing waves and in Castiel’s beautiful garden behind their home. 

They settled right into married life, nothing much changing after years of living together. Neither Castiel nor Dean ever figured out why people talked about marriage as if it was the killer of passion, because even as the years passed, they never could quite learn to keep their hands off each other. Castiel couldn’t look at Dean without being left breathless over how much he loved and wanted his husband, and Dean would gladly tell you he felt the exact same way about Cas. 

They fought like any normal couple, but there was never an argument serious enough to shake their bond. ‘Never go to bed angry’ was a rule they adopted early on, and Castiel was somehow the key to getting Dean to open up no matter how much he tried to shut out the world when he was upset. There was never a night that they didn't lie in bed together and whisper ‘I love you’ to each other before falling asleep.

They eventually added a fluffy white cat to their little family. Dean named her Princess Leia, but Castiel secretly put “General Organa” on her forms when he registered her and occasionally chuckled to himself when Dean called her “Lele,” like the sap he was.

A couple years in, they used Dean’s sperm and a surrogate to bring Claire into their life, a beautiful baby girl born with a full head of blonde curls and lung power enough to shake the house when she really got crying. By the time she was two, it was clear she had a little spitfire attitude to her, but she was the apple of her fathers’ eyes no matter how many times she yelled ‘no!’ at them. They comforted themselves with the thought that their strong little girl would never stand to be taken advantage of, not that anyone in their right mind would challenge her.

They welcomed two nieces into their small extended family when Sam and Jess had twins just after Claire’s third birthday. Claire doted on her cousins, the babies softening her edges in a way Dean and Castiel never thought possible.

It seemed like their little family was due for an all girl generation until they used Castiel’s sperm and the same surrogate to bring Jack into their lives. Where Claire had been loud and brash from the day she was born, little Jack was contemplative and quiet, sleeping through the night early on and seemingly born with good manners. The first time he clutched Dean's finger like a tiny vice and looked up at him with Castiel’s big blue eyes and serious face, Dean knew he was lost to their son.

By the time the kids were old enough to hold whispered conversations and conspire against their fathers, Dean and Castiel were talked into getting the kids a much wanted puppy. Letting Jack name him was probably a mistake, and Princess Leia pretended he didn’t exist, but their little corgi, Nougat, became the children’s pride and joy. Castiel loved to watch Dean beam at the little dog as his round little butt bounded into the breaking waves flanked by their young children.

When they were old enough, Castiel taught the kids how to tend to the bees and weed the garden. In their teens, Dean was the one to teach them to drive and how to change a tire because, “No kid of mine is going to be stranded on the side of the road without a basic life skill.” And when Claire, and then a few years later, Jack went off to college, Dean and Castiel cried and spent far too much time wandering through their empty bedrooms before finally realizing that an empty nest could actually be fun for a couple like them who were still so very in love and lust with each other. 

Claire met Kaia after college and eventually the pair married. They fond a donor and Claire gave birth to a son, and suddenly Dean and Castiel were grandparents. Jack would marry and give them a pair of granddaughters quite a few years later. 

Through it all, Dean and Cas would visit their windows at the church on every anniversary, holding hands and reminiscing over how it all began. They’d laugh over how young their angel counterparts looked in comparison to their aging selves, then kiss and leave the church for another year.

Dean and Castiel’s love only grew as time passed and their family grew, each new fragment coming together to make them more whole and happy than they ever thought they’d be.

_THE END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this bit of low drama fluff. Feel free to leave a comment <3

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I do love comments.


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